Members of the Czech Heritage Foundation Czech Royal Court greeted guests to the St. Wenceslaus Goulash Day on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, and sampled the festival’s kolaches in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Mother Nature can put a damper on a festival, no matter how carefully planned the event might be.

Puddles fill the streets of Czech Village during CzechFest on Sept. 22, 2019. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

Such was the case with CzechFest in Czech Village, where Jennifer Stewart, owner of The Create Exchange, 98 16th Ave. SW, volunteered countless hours to organize the annual festival, only to see rain pummel the outdoor venue throughout the morning and into the afternoon.

Some of the music and other outdoor activities went ahead as much as possible, but the event was finally suspended.

A few “contestants” made an appearance for the scarecrow contest and Stewart tried to make the best of things. Czech Village experienced similar weather during Houby Days in May.

Related: Rain on Houby Days Parade

Across the Cedar River, the St. Wenceslaus Goulash Day also made adjustments to its annual festival, having bands perform inside the church, rather than outdoors and moving other activities indoors.

Goulash Day features food, including kolaches, a Czech favorite, baked by members of St. Monica’s Circle, along with live music, a silent auction, country store, bingo and more.

See photos from the two festivals last year and more from the 2019 events, below: