What's rain got to do with it?

The Chamber's largest event, our signature event, has become The Taste of Clarkston. It involves over 30 restaurants, 300 volunteers, 100 sponsors and exhibitors, and partnerships with the City of the Village of Clarkston and Indpendence Township Parks & Recreation.

It's a one day event (held the last Sunday in September) on Main Street.

If the weather is anywhere near nice . . . it's a fantastic event. It runs smoothly, we have a good hometown crowd of around 18,000 people. There's great food, live music, free KidZones with activities for kids of all ages.

If it rains . . . .it is a financial nightmare.

This weekend I visited with my sisters, one lives in Milford (Milford Memories) and one lives in Pinkney (Brighton Art Fair). Both communities had planned, prepared and presented their signature outdoor summer events. Both communities were hit Saturday with their absolute worst weather nightmare. Downpours. Thunderstorms.

Because I work at a Chamber of Commerce and KNOW what goes into these event, and because my sisters (and nieces) are game for adventure, we went to the art fair anyway. We brought umbrellas, we got wet and we had a great time. The artists were stunned to see us. We were probably 1/2 of the buying public that showed up that morning. (And the afternoon had worse weather.)

All the while I was visualizing what would happen to Taste of Clarkston if we had this kind of weather. (The puddles in the street became a river. My shoes are still drying out.)

There's only so much you can do to plan the perfect family friendly event--if the weather turns on you . . . we don' t have a back up date. We don't have a rain location.

What's rain got to do with it? Everything.

I have to remember that this is why we picked September for this event. Historically the end of September, early October is dryer than July or August. Freak thunderstorms shouldn't happen. We might get stray rain showers from a fringe finger of a hurricane that hits the Gulf coast . . . but we should be good.

Should be.

Cross your fingers (and join the prayer team!)