Welsh Fest Cancelled, Colori Threatened by Rains

Predicted rainfalls have shuttered at least on area festival and threatens to derail another. Overnight conditions see patchy fog and cloudy skies drifting above a light westerly wind, temperatures dipping into the mid 60s. 

Saturday morning sees a chance of showers increasing after 9 a.m. in an otherwise cloudy day with highs near 77. Overnight Saturday, the National Weather Service predicts a chance of showers at 50 percent as of early this morning. More rain is predicted for Sunday.

Welsh Fest Cancelled

Bill Reese, one of the organizers of the Welsh Society of Fredericksburg's annual Welsh Festival, said on Facebook that his event would have to be cancelled this year. The Welsh Festival, in its 22nd year, was scheduled to be held on Saturday, Sept. 24 between 12 and 5 p.m. at the James Monroe Museum on 908 Charles Street. No make-up date is scheduled until next year's fete. 

Via Colori Organizers Look to the Skies, Again

Also threatened by the rains is the young   The event is slated to begin at at 10 a.m. today. In an announcement on Facebook, organizers say that they will make a decision at 8:30 a.m. wether or not to proceed as planned with the festival, which sees artists from near and far create elaborate street paintings with chalk. Rain is something of a tradition for the Fredericksburg Via Colori, only in its second year. Artists and festival goers had to overcome a spate of rain during last year's inaugural event as well. 

"Here's hoping it all goes smoothly," said Via Colori artist Toni Hitchcock on Facebook. "I hated having to walk away from my piece prematurely last year!"

Art Comes Alive Moves Indoors

A companion art party, , hosted by the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, has moved their festivities indoors in the face of the wet weather. 

Art Comes Alive! begins at 6:00 in the evening, after the Via Colori festivities have wound down for the day. 

The event is meant to showcase local talent through music, art and food. Two bands will perform while seven local artists impromptu paint to the music. 

This year, the music performers are a jazz and blues group, Big Joe Maher and his Big Four Combo and a local cover band, the World Jam Club with Don Brown. The local artists include: Adam DeSio, Tanya Richey, Rob Landeck, Elizabeth Seaver, Hsi-Mei Yates, Nicholas Candela and Jane Woodworth.