Singing in the rain: Weather unkind to first year for reformatted Harvest Festival

Published 6:18 am Tuesday, September 25, 2018

The Harvest Fest Street Concert was a soggy event for the Heart of Danville Saturday night.

For the first time in its history, Harvest Fest was a concert featuring four bands on a large stage set up on Main Street, complete with stage lighting and a professional sound system.

Everything for a fantastic outdoor concert was in place. Long tables and plenty of chairs were lined down portion of Main Street between Third and Fourth streets; corn hole games were out; food trucks were parked and ready to serve; and of course drink tents were stocked.

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But there was also rain.

Those who did come to the party didn’t seem to mind the drizzle though. Plenty of folks had umbrellas and kids wore raincoats and galoshes.

When the music started, the atmosphere seemed to spark with a bit more activity. Magnolia Vale, The Dylan Jasper Band and Brad Hardin entertained on stage.

People were talking, laughing and singing along with some of the songs. Cheers and clapping followed songs. But there was plenty of room for a much larger crowd.

By the time headliner Brandon Lay hit the stage, the drizzle had turned into rain, then into a downpour.

“The weather has not been our friend this weekend,” the Heart of Danville posted on its Facebook page after the festival concluded. “Brandon had to cut his set short due to the weather, but it was still a great time. Thanks for Magnolia Vale, The Dylan Jasper Band and Brad Hardin for keeping us dancing and tapping our toes through the rain!”