Fair Weather Runs Afoul

By Etta Sanders and Barry Owens

Wet but no washout, the Tribeca Family Festival on April 29 slogged through the sort of rainy day better suited to a double-feature at the cinema.

“There’s a reason we invest in all these tents,” said Peter Downey, the festival’s creative director. “This is a rain-or-shine event and we’re all shining through the rain.”

Indeed, many participants made the best of it, including local merchants. Koh’s Kids booth was selling bright yellow and pink raincoats. “It may be a good day for us,” said saleswoman Irisa Mautsumi. “Last year it was sunglasses.”

Sculptor G. Augustine Lynas still drew a crowd as he shaped a hippo and tortoise out of a wet pile of sand. “It’s bad weather for the sculptor, good weather for the piece,” he said.

The lighter turnout made the fair easier to navigate, notwithstanding the need to dodge umbrellas. There were seats at the puppet shows, no waiting for a ride on the carousels, and toddlers were free to wander in a wider orbit than usual around their parents.

“The good thing about the bad weather is that it’s not crowded,” said Cheryl Fish, who endured the dampness with her 6-year-old son, Josh. “Otherwise it’s a zoo.”

“We’re locals and we go every year,” said Lisa Gilroy, escorting a pair of five-year-olds through the puddles. “There’s not much that would keep us away.”