Umbrellas Over Rain Day
By Danielle Nyland
Vibrant and cheerful, a rainbow’s worth of colorful umbrellas will float over Rain Day this year in Waynesburg. The Umbrellas Over Rain Day Sky Project will transform the sidewalk at the Greene County Courthouse by creating a floating art experience like no other.
Similar art displays have been set up around the world, but it was the display a few years ago at Three Rivers Art Festival that helped bring this one about. “Three years ago I received a clipping of a photo and article from the Observer about an umbrella display at the Three Rivers Art Festival,” says Athena Bowman. “I thought this umbrella display would fit perfectly with our downtown annual tradition of the Rain Day Festival. Last year, Judge Toothman had placed a little, single hanging umbrella across Cherry Alley behind our office prior to Rain Day and this little, single umbrella gave me more of an incentive to bring [the project] to Rain Day for this year.”
Athena brought the idea to the Rain Day Committee’s attention during event planning stages and they agreed that the idea should be brought to Waynesburg, on a slightly smaller scale than Three Rivers. After a lot of research and first reaching out to a company that had no interest in the idea, Athena connected with Joe Walsh, the Production Coordinator for Hughie’s Event Productions. Joe was on board with the idea immediately and he’s worked closely with the committee, making several trips to Waynesburg to measure and get information to ensure a successful display.
“We are so excited to be able to make the umbrella sky concept possible,” Joe says. “The creativity this kind of project allows is not only challenging, but it’s fun. You don’t often get a chance to paint the sky with color.”
The Kick Off Celebration for the event will be on Saturday, July 20, 2019 from 11am to 3pm. In front of the Greene County Courthouse. There will be guest speakers, a ribbon cutting, music, raffles, games, prizes, and Caricatures by Jeff Harris. 5 Kidz Kandy will be set up o the courthouse steps selling walking tacos, apple dumplings, and ice cream. Guest speakers will include Brian Tanner, Waynesburg Borough Mayor; Joe Walsh, Hughies Event Production; Pam Snyder, State Representative; Blair Zimmerman, County Commissioner; Rich Robb, Three Rivers Royalty; Dr. Darrell Donley, WVU Medicine; and JoAnn Marshall, Greene County Tourist Promotion Director. The umbrellas will remain in place until after the Rain Day festivities on July 29th.
