Rain, rain, go away

For the second straight year, the annual Stoneville Rotary Fall Festival suffered a hit from Mother Nature.

“I know we’ve really needed this rain, but I wish it had picked another weekend,” said Rex Tuggle, Stoneville mayor and Rotary member. “I can’t believe we got hit like this two years in a row. I’d say we should pick another weekend, but you run that risk whenever you set it.”

Tuggle stood on the sidewalk under an umbrella Saturday afternoon talking with fellow mayor Micky Silvers from Madison. Silvers told Tuggle he understood his feelings.

“We had the same luck the first two years of our Heritage Festival,” Silvers said. “The weather is the one thing you can’t control, but it makes a big difference in how big a crowd you get.”

The crowds might have been small for Saturday’s eighth annual Stoneville festival, but Tuggle said the spirit was still big. Vendors still came and musicians still performed, although some vendors left earlier than usual.

“It’s tough on them to sit in the rain when there’s not a lot of people stopping by to shop,” Tuggle said. “It’s just one of those things you have to accept in life. We appreciate the folks that came out to support us, but we know it’s tough to come out on a day like this. And we know the folks will be back when the weather’s better.”