Rain did not stop people from enjoying a long-standing tradition in Meriden.
Saturday marked the start of the 43rd Annual Meriden Daffodil Festival, a large, weekend-long event that celebrates spring and the city.
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WATCH HERE"I've lived here my whole life, and I don't think there was ever a year that we missed coming," said Stephanie Cirillo, of Meriden.
Families, unbothered by the weather, started showing up right as gates opened at 10 a.m.
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SIGN UP "Raincoats and rainboots and it is what it is. We'll still have fun," said Sarah Taylor, of Meriden.
Saturday's weather was a stark contrast from last year; the sun was out, and daffodils surrounded the park. But event planners say they're used to rainy conditions.
"I'll be honest, since I've been involved, we've had more rain than we've had sun, so we actually know what we're doing in the rain," said the festival's co-chairman Ric Suzio.
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Suzio says it takes nearly a year to plan the event and weeks to set up. Community members were committed to carrying out this tradition once again.
For some of the non-profits, the festival is usually their largest fundraiser."
"Here, we're selling fried dough today. Fried dough, water and soda. And it's 100% for charity," said Heather Rinaldi, a member of Meriden's North Italian Home Club.
A number of other organizations were there giving back, including Cans-4-A-Cause. The group, which is entirely made up of volunteers works to recycle plastic bottles and donate the funds.
"All the proceeds we get from today will go to the Meriden Soup Kitchen," said Cans-4-A-Cause President and Founder Jeff Myjak.
The festival is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's free to attend with off-site parking and a shuttle service available.
Not only is it a chance to enjoy food, rides, music and crafts, but support the city as well.
And the rain was no match for Meriden's strong sense of community.
