Waiting for rain: Crowds enjoy annual Rain Day festival in Waynesburg

Crowds enjoy annual Rain Day festival in Waynesburg

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Strolling magician and juggler Howard Mincone performs for Miss Rain Day contestants at Wednesday's Rain Day celebration in Waynesburg. [Garrett Neese]

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Elena Kreuzer, 6, of Carmichaels, winner of Rain Day's umbrella decorating contest, stands with Miss Rain Day Sophia Faddis and Rain Day mascot Wayne Drop. [Garrett Neese]

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Elena Kreuzer, 6, of Carmichaels, walks to the stage after being named the winner of the umbrella decorating contest at Rain Day Wednesday. [Garrett Neese]

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Rain Day mascot Wayne Drop held a prime spot on Elena Kreuzer's winning umbrella, which also included the contest site of Fountain Park, the Miss Rain Day candidates and emcee Doug Wilson. [Garrett Neese]

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Doug Wilson poses a question to eventual Mini Miss Rain Drop Lettie Menhart during the pageant at Wednesday's Rain Day celebration in Waynesburg. [Garrett Neese]

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Drew Johnson hits the chorus on the main stage at Rain Day. [Garrett Neese]

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Ellie John, 6, of Waynesburg and her mother Katie John celebrate a butterfly ballon from Mike Cavatio of JMS Ballooning. [Garrett Neese]

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Charles Welling, 9, sinks a putt at Waynesburg Rotary Club's mini-golf booth. [Garrett Neese]

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The crowd awaits the announcement of pageant winners in Fountain Park during the Rain Day celebration Wednesday in Waynesburg. [Garrett Neese]

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Rain was everywhere but the skies.

As of early Wednesday afternoon, not a drop had fallen in Waynesburg. But that didn’t stop the crowd that filled the parks downtown for a day of food, games, contests, music, entertainment and other excitement for the annual Rain Day celebration.

Sparked by 19th-century farmer Caleb Ely’s observation that it always seemed to rain on his birthday, the July 29 celebration has lived up to its name more often than not. Through 2025, it’s rained 119 of the past 151 years.

If it fails to rain Wednesday, the borough will have to give a hat to San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller, a Waynesburg University alumnus who’s the latest in a long line of notables to take part in the annual Hat Bet.

“We have no rain yet, but we still have a pretty big part of the day,” said Waynesburg Borough Manager Athena Bowman. “And I think we have a good crowd today.”

Under overcast skies, children marched through Fountain Park under home-decorated umbrellas in an annual contest.

Elena Kreuzer, 6, of Carmichaels, came away with the title. Her Lego-themed design was a miniature version of the festival itself, with emcee Doug Wilson, the queens, Fountain Park, and of course, Rain Day mascot Wayne Drop.

Kreuzer, who builds Legos with her grandmother, came up with the idea about a year ago. Hearing her name called was “exciting,” she said.

“She’s won a couple of other places, but never first,” said her mother, Kimberly Kreuzer.

It was also the debut for the new Miss Rain Day, Sophia Faddis, participating in the first of many community events in Greene County she’ll attend as a representative of the festival. Faddis, 15, of Fredericktown, said she’d been looking forward to the day since she was a crown bearer in 2017.

She said she loves coming to the festival for Little Miss Rain Drop and the umbrella contest, which she also participated in when she was younger.

“It’s such a big tradition,” she said. “I think it brings our community together, and it’s always a fun experience to find out if it’s going to rain or not.”

Kids also lined up to get balloon animals from JMS Ballooning — in the case of Ellie John, 6, of Waynesburg, a butterfly.

“It’s a fun time for the kids to walk around, and they both enjoy the pageantry,” said Ellie’s mother, Katie John. “And the nice weather didn’t hurt.”

Although, Katie added, “hopefully we get a little rain at some point.”