NEW RICHMOND, Ohio -- A long holiday weekend. What could go wrong?
The weather. The weather went wrong, big time. Many Tri-State celebrations were scrubbed because of rain, including the Fourth of July celebration in New Richmond.
"We had a carnival set up, live music at the bandstand," Dick Feldkamp said.
To top it all off, they'd planned a fireworks show.
But the Fourth of July flop turned out to be a big boost for the community's River Days in mid-August: Most of the events that were scheduled for the Fourth, including the parade, will happen this year as part of the town's celebration of its river heritage.
"We got about $18,000 worth of fireworks we're going to shoot up -- twice as big," Feldkamp said.
New Richmond isn't the only Tri-State celebration bouncing back from the rain: The city of Reading has rescheduled its fireworks for the Friday before Labor Day.
"I'm glad they're not canceling them altogether," Reading resident Kris Acus said.
For most communities, the delays aren't expensive: Fireworks can be used any time, and most events are executed by volunteers. The bands, however, have to be paid whether they play or not.
One of the celebrations hit hardest was the Northside Rock N'Roll Carnival, where organizers decided to keep the party going even if it moved indoors. But organizers say their beer sales, the main revenue generator, were off, and crowds were only about 5 percent of usual when the bands moved into private taverns instead of Jacob Hoffner Park. It's not clear how that financial hardship may affect the party next year.
