Anyone who has lived on the Gulf Coast knows that weather gets more unpredictable as the Atlantic Hurricane Season comes to a close.
For the record and as a reminder – Hurricane Season ends on Nov. 30 annually.
That being said, as a lifelong resident of Bay City and Matagorda County, I struggle to remember a Halloween without rain.
And if it didn’t happen the day before or the day of Halloween then we were certainly guaranteed rain the day after.
I can’t tell you how many nights I spent trick-or-treating in a hurry to beat the rain home with a full candy haul weighing me down more than that polyester costume.
My sister also remembers such struggles and can recall losing that mad dash battle by ending up drenched, melting and possibly shivering on our own front porch.
The same expectation rang true for our local annual Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead/DOD) Festival since its inception over seven years ago.
I mean, the Mexican cultural holiday is generally celebrated on Nov. 1-2, but can extend from Oct. 31 all the way to Nov. 6, depending on one’s location and heritage.
Which means, those dates overlap with Halloween celebrations and are just as prone to rain dampening all of those events.
As such, the festival has always been billed accordingly as a “rain or shine” event – just like Bay City Main Street Program’s Camofest in January.
Last year’s festival endured rain before the event and a few quick showers during it before the night cleared up.
Also, last year was the first time the event was held at a 2-day status – Friday and Saturday each had specific features and experiences for attendees.
Saturday has historically always been the bigger event and has grown over the years to rival Camofest in size and scope as well.
While I’ve attended the festival since its beginning - either to cover it from the paper or to volunteer my time as a Visit Bay City TX Tourism Advisory Council member – I was always prepared for rain and planned accordingly.
This year was no different as I played a game of “chicken” with the weather forecast, ominous cloud cover and a temperamental Canon camera in hand.
By the time the first droplets were registering as frequent fliers, I had accomplished my photography goal and was headed home to help decide what was for dinner that night.
But, I never expected the event to be cancelled from a little rain, but I can understand calling it off with so much lightning, fierce winds and pea-sized hail.
At that point it isn’t just about enduring getting wet – it’s a safety hazard for everyone involved!
And I guess that’s what rubs me the wrong way the most about everyone voicing negative opinions about it online.
Huge events like Camofest and the Day of the Dead Festival take months of preparations to execute and even then, event organizers can’t expect perfection despite their many years of experience.
Take for example when the Bay City Lions Club canceled their annual Rice Festival parade ahead of its actual Saturday event date while citing safety concerns for all involved because of the impending rain forecast.
Comments flood Facebook complaining about the cancellation being “premature” and got even worse when the sun shone bright on Saturday morning despite the puddles around town.
I’m sure those same comments would have been made about DOD if its Saturday would have been canceled early, too.
I’m just saying that there should be a bit more understanding for events being cancelled in the name of safety rather than whining and complaining on social media.