Dancing in the rain

At the Kenai Peninsula Fair on Friday, a variety of experiences were on offer. Pigs raced only steps away from a stage from which music rang out. From there, a climbing wall could be seen reaching up into the sky. Nowhere on the fairgrounds was far from a food truck or a vendor tent selling crafts or snacks.

Under sunny skies, hundreds milled about, listening, playing, snacking and laughing. When a heavy rain began to fall, things didn’t look terribly different, people were still listening, playing, snacking and laughing, just with more umbrellas.

“Thanks for toughin’ out the rain guys,” said Mark Hutton as he played alongside Karin Caldwell on the spaces’ central Ocean Stage. “We appreciate it.”

Many flocked to spaces with some cover — like a large indoor vendor space by the door or a space offering horse rides for children.

Despite less than ideal conditions, the fun wouldn’t be stymied. The same big crowd gathered around the ring for the pig races, and the sound of music drew ears — syncopated by children splashing their way through puddles.

Rain let up around 3 p.m., just in time for 17-year-old Homer guitarist Silas Luke Jones to hit the Ocean Stage.

“The rain’s cleared off, hallelujah,” he called as he opened his set. The rain would be back in force before he packed up.

Jones drew dozens to the grassy space before the stage as he performed both original compositions and recognizable covers with his signature zeal — swaying with the music, dropping down into a crouch plucking at the neck of his instrument and tapping away on its body to sound percussion.

Between each song, Jones explained the techniques he was using to an engaged audience.

While the fiercely returning rain drove some of the crowd back under cover, Jones’ performance wouldn’t be hindered.

“Allow me to close this out with a party,” he said, before launching into a cover of “Thunderstruck” played in the pouring rain.

For more information about the Kenai Peninsula Fair, visit facebook.com/kpfair.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

Arthur Steward, left, reaches the top of the rock wall at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Pigs race at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Children shelter from the rain under a picnic bench at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Arthur Steward, left, scales the rock wall at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Silas Luke Jones performs on the Ocean Stage at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Karin Caldwell and Mark Hutton perform under rainfall on the Ocean Stage at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

The 11th Airborne Division Band performs in the amphitheater at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)