Armed with a cell phone, a cup of coffee and an umbrella, Springfield Days organizer Darcy Whalen makes the decision to halt Saturday's festivities in Springfield.
"We're canceling the parade, the music this afternoon and the carnival," Whalen said from the parking lot of Grace Presbyterian Church where the parade was supposed to start. The rain, which began falling on Friday, put a damper on the carnival in Springfield Plaza and continued all day on Saturday.
"Oh well, what can you do?" Whalen said.
But the Springfield Days festival wasn't a total wash. The Miss Springfield pageant kicked off the weekend on Thursday evening at Springfield Mall. Oakton resident Sarah Boschung, an 18-year-old senior at Fairfax Baptist Temple Academy, took the crown while Tina Montgomery, a 19-year-old freshman at George Mason University was first runner up and Ashley Linder, 16, a junior at West Springfield High School, was the second runner up. Sarah was also named Miss Congeniality. The festivities continued Sunday at Lake Accotink where bands started that morning before the Cardboard Boat Regatta set sail at 2 p.m.
"I was nervous that the paint was going to wash off," said Jon Kline, captain of the Flying Cicada boat. Patrick Whitehouse, Tyler Hawley, Austin Cheney and Nicholas Jones manned the paddles.
The Snake Head boat was built the day before. "We shellacked it and everything," said Springfield father Van Ross.
Brendon Dayo traveled from Maryland but remained optimistic. "They sank, but we had fun," he said.