KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
The rain is expected to hover around for what is considered the last weekend of summer in the Kansas City metro and there are several big events planned that are preparing for the damp conditions.
The luck of the Irish abandoned ship Friday making it tougher for volunteers to nail down tents flapping in the breeze and soaking everything around to a darker shade of green.
"As you can tell I'm a little water-logged," said Dennis Beebe, who was setting up at Irish Fest.
But the wet weather won't slow down Kansas City's tenth annual Irish Fest celebrations at Crown Center.
"Honestly, as we're setting up, we're really more concerned if it snows. The rain doesn't keep the Irish away at all," President of Kansas City Irish Fest Laren Mahoney said.
Organizers said one in eight Kansas Citians come from Irish roots so they won't miss the chance to help people reconnect with their heritage.
"Even if you're Irish for a day, people get a kick out of it," Mahoney said.
Even the rain itself is spreading Ireland's national color across the metro.
"At least my yard will turn from brown to green," Beebe said.
Irish Fest isn't the only one breaking out the umbrellas – people are doing the same thing at Santa-Cali-Gon Days Festival in Independence, MO.
"Well it's very wet," said Dafne Witt while at the Santa-Cali-Gon Days Festival.
The more people the rain turns away, the less money for non-profit groups that sell at the festival, like at the funnel cake booth where profits make up a good chunk of funding for Trinity Presbyterian Church.
"It won't stop the people, they'll stand in line in the rain," Dave Lyons said as he was running the funnel cake booth.
People at the outdoor events said if they have to they'll be soaking in the end of the summer.
The Santa-Cali-Gon Days officials said they will be closing Friday at 5:30 p.m. due to the rainy weather that could include heavy rain and possible wind gusts.
It will reopen Saturday at 10 a.m. where it runs until 11 p.m. The festival has the same schedule on Sunday and will run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Monday.
Click here for more information on Santa-Cali-Gon Days.
Click here for more information on Irish Fest.
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Irish Fest
