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With fall’s arrival in the region comes the famous rainy season, and in Pe Ell, one local business owner wants to welcome the weather and is organizing the inaugural Rainy Day Fest.
The event is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11, from noon to 5 p.m. in the western Lewis County community.
Rainy Day Coffee Company owner Rainee Habersetzer is heading up organizing efforts. She spoke with The Chronicle last week to talk about the new festival.
“We have quite a few things planned. It’s actually spiraled much more than I anticipated,” Habersetzer said.
Rainy Day Fest events include a chili cook-off, a pumpkin pie-eating contest, a cornhole tournament and vendor market, which will have 37 different vendors available according to Habersetzer, along with food trucks. A scavenger hunt for children will also be available, along with a fall photo booth.
All events are free to attend, though for those looking to compete in the chili cook-off, the pie-eating contest or the cornhole tournament must register ahead of the festival. Registration must be done online by Thursday, Oct. 8, at https://tinyurl.com/38nf3hda.
“I have to buy the pumpkin pies ahead of time,” Habersetzer said.
Live music will be performed by Boat Ramp Bubba, also known as Michael Adams, a U.S. Marine Corps infantry veteran from South Bend turned bluegrass music artist.
The festival will be held at multiple locations on Main Street in Pe Ell between East Seventh and Pe Ell Avenues, including the Rainy Day Coffee Company, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Event Hall and the old St. Joseph Catholic Church building.
“Evey’s (Cafe), our neighbor, the restaurant that’s out there. She’s going to do a benefit for Landen Mohoric, and she’s selling grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup out of the VFW Hall, so that will be open during the festival as well,” Habersetzer said. “So if it does rain and people are cold, they’ll be able to go in there and get out of the weather.”
Mohoric is a member of the long-established Mohoric family of Boistfort, a community neighboring Pe Ell, who found himself in a medically induced coma this past summer following an infection, as previously reported by The Chronicle.
Though no longer in a coma, Mohoric is on a long road to recovery and currently undergoing physical and speech therapy at the Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado, which specializes in spinal cord and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.
For those who can’t make it but want to donate to help Mohoric’s recovery, his family is still accepting donations through GoFundMe, available online at https://gofund.me/d345a7398.
Given the weather might not only be rainy, but also a bit cooler, the Rainy Day Coffee Company will have specials for hot drinks, and for the first 125 customers between noon and 2 p.m., Gesa Credit Union will be paying for one free drink per customer.
“So if they order four drinks, only one of them will be free,” Habersetzer added.
Additionally, Gesa is buying drinks for first responders who will be present at the event, as from noon to 4 p.m., staff from the Washington State Patrol, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and Lewis County Fire District 11 will be present with their vehicles for a “touch-a-truck” event, where families are invited to bring their children out to see the vehicles and explore them, all for free. Along with the first responders, Skookumchuck Logging will also have a logging truck on display.
Attendees are advised to bring jackets and rain boots if necessary, though tented areas will be available for those looking to enjoy chili or a warm drink in the dry.
