Houby Days Parade Grand Marshal Sonya Darrow makes her way down Third Street SE before the start of the parade on Saturday, May 20, 2017, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

CEDAR RAPIDS – It literally rained on our parade at this year’s Houby Days in Czech Village, but the annual festival offered many bright spots, as well.

Winners in the Houby Days morel contest were awarded prizes at Lion Bridge Brewing Co. in Czech Village. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

For those most interested in the event’s namesake mushrooms, winners were announced in the morel contest: Team TMT (Tom Slade, Morgan Driscoll and Tyson Gosnell) won both the largest morel and most unusual. The smallest morel award went to Craig Kohl and the best display – an aquarium/terrarium featuring salamanders – was awarded to Mike and Aidan Haugsted of Cedar Rapids.

Saddah Hadish was crowned Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa 2017-2018. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

A new Czech Royal Court also was announced, including Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa, Saddah Hadish (my niece!) of Cedar Rapids.

While the rain dampened the size of the crowds, Czech Village businesses and the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library offered respite from the weather, with the Czech heritage and culture that started the festival 40 years ago remaining strong.

See photos from last year’s Houby Days, when the sun was shining, and more images from Houby Days 2017: