Gutsy gamble: Annual hat bettor to celebrate Rain Day in convertible
无毛视频淲ayne Drop,无毛视频� the official mascot of the Rain Day Festival, is preparing for the 2022 event, which will be held in College and Fountain Parks in Waynesburg. (Photo courtesy of the Special Events Commission)
WQED producer Rick Sebak is headed to Greene County on July 29 as the 2022 hat bettor. The friendly competition pits Waynesburg Mayor Greg Leathers against a celebrity. At stake: a hat. Leathers believes rain will fall in the borough as it has so many times in the past. Sebak has predicted a sunny, dry day.
WQED producer Rick Sebak is excited to celebrate the first birthday of his Mini Cooper convertible on July 29.
In Waynesburg.
On Rain Day.
But as the celebrity who无毛视频檚 accepted this year无毛视频檚 Hat Bet, Sebak isn无毛视频檛 worried.
无毛视频淚 plan to drive to Greene County with the roof down that morning, ready to celebrate clear skies, beautiful weather and this slightly wacky tradition that goes back to the 1800s,无毛视频� Sebak said. 无毛视频淏et on the sun.无毛视频�
Sebak joins a long list of celebrity bettors 无毛视频� stretching back to 1939 无毛视频� to put a hat of his choosing on the line against a hat of Waynesburg无毛视频檚 mayor无毛视频檚 choosing.
Mayor Greg Leathers无毛视频� bet, of course, will be on rain falling at some point during the day. And he has history on his side.
Be it a drizzle or a downpour, in 116 of the past 148 years, rain has fallen in the borough on July 29. (That无毛视频檚 78.3% of the time, for those who are curious.)
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 looking forward to winning another hat this year,无毛视频� Leathers said.
A producer at WQED since 1987, Sebak has made dozens of documentaries about southwestern Pennsylvania无毛视频檚 history and unexpected charms, and created 15 national specials for PBS.
This year无毛视频檚 festival will be held at Fountain and Monument Parks. Musicians will perform throughout the day on two stages, and children will be able to take a photo with Rex the Rain Day Dinosaur.
Wayne Drop, the festival mascot, will also be on hand.
Winners will be chosen in the annual Rain Day pageants for babies through teens. Additionally, contests include best umbrella, downtown business window decoration, coloring and a diaper derby.
This year无毛视频檚 festivities end with fireworks following the final band performance at 8:30 p.m.
无毛视频淭he committee is very excited for this event to take place in the parks where families and friends can gather to enjoy the festivities of the day in celebrating this hometown tradition of tracking rain,无毛视频� said Athena Bowman, special events coordinator.