Rain hurts South Elgin's Riverfest Express

What normally is a wash in South Elgin could end up being a washout.

Unrelenting rain over the weekend likely will have an effect on the bottom line when it comes to the village's Riverfest Express festival.

Village officials typically budget about $170,000 a year on the festival, Village Administrator Larry Jones said.

And most of the time, they break even.

The three-day festival was supposed to resume at noon Sunday.

But showers delayed the start time until 5 p.m., and forced organizers to cancel several events, including the car show, craft show, small business expo and fireworks display.

The rain also meant a lot of folks stayed home on Sunday, Jones said.

"Some of the die-hards were there," said Jones, who called the weather the worst in the festival's 11-year history. "It was a greatly reduced crowd."

And that could leave the village in the red this year.

"We won't know for a month or two when all the bills come in associated with the festival," Jones said.

Village officials say the bad weather this year probably won't affect plans for next year's festival.

But in the short-term, the village's special events committee might discuss rescheduling some of the events canceled over the weekend.

For instance, organizers said the festival's closing-night fireworks display may be moved to early October, when the village recreation department holds the Harvest Hustle Fun Run and Walk.

That's also when the South Elgin Area Jaycees have decided to hold their rubber duck race to raise money for Camp New Hope.