The origins of Waynesburg’s Rain Day can be traced back to a chance encounter between local farmer Caleb Ely and William Allison, a pharmacist who worked at the JT Rogers & Co. drugstore on High Street. During their conversation, Ely remarked that it always seemed to rain on his birthday, July 29. Inspired by this conversation, Allison began keeping an annual weather record on that day. The first record dates from 1874.
Interestingly, the farmer’s name remained unknown for a long time. It wasn’t until 2019 that research revealed the “unknown farmer” from the Rain Day Festival’s origin story was Caleb Ely. He was born on July 29, 1829, in Washington County, Pennsylvania, not far from Waynesburg. A Civil War veteran, Ely lived most of his life on his farm near Waynesburg and often stopped by the drugstore until his death in 1915.
After William Allison’s death, his brother Albert continued recording rainfall on July 29. Then, sometime in the 1920s, Byron Daily took over the tradition. However, it was thanks to local newsman John O’Hara, who began sending stories about the tradition to other newspapers in the 1930s, that Rain Day became known beyond Waynesburg.
By the mid-20th century, national media outlets regularly reported on whether or not Waynesburg received its customary rainfall on July 29. However, the modern street festival did not emerge until 1979, when the Waynesburg Borough Special Events Commission was established. That same year, the Waynesburg Area Chamber of Commerce organized the first Miss Rain Day Pageant, which also became an annual tradition.
Today, the Rain Day Festival is a free public event featuring live music and entertainment on multiple stages, the Miss Rain Day beauty pageant, community contests and competitions, children’s games and activities in the Kids Zone, a pancake breakfast at the local church, a foam party, food and arts-and-crafts vendors, and other events and activities.
Perhaps the best-known Rain Day tradition is the Hat Bet, which predates the festival itself. Beginning in the early 20th century, local Rain Day enthusiasts started wagering hats on whether it would rain on July 29. Over time, this tradition evolved into a public challenge between a local Rain Day representative and a celebrity guest. The first representative was Byron Daily’s son, John.
If precipitation falls within Waynesburg’s borough limits at any point during the day, the loser gives their hat to the winner. If it stays dry, the outcome is reversed. The amount of rain does not matter, even if it is only a few drops. According to the official Rain Day record, it has rained on 119 out of 152 recorded Rain Days through 2025, for a success rate of over 78 percent.
Despite the generally cheerful nature of the Rain Day Festival, it also has a solemn aspect. Each year, the festivities pause for a moment of silence to honor the Rain Day Boys–eighteen Greene County soldiers who were killed in action or mortally wounded on a battlefield in France on July 28–29, 1918, during World War I.
Photo: raindayfestival.com
