DECATUR - Nelson Park was supposed to be filled with people Saturday to celebrate Independence Day.

Instead, an all-day rain effectively shut down the Lakeside Music and Arts Festival for the day and forced the Decatur Park District's fireworks display to be postponed by a night.

Weather permitting, a Decatur Park Singers performance starting around 7:15 p.m. today will end with a patriotic melody and lead into the fireworks at approximately 9:15 p.m. The Music and Arts festival will go on as scheduled from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., with music starting at 10:30 a.m.

The Rodney T. Miller Triathlon is also scheduled to take place this morning.

"The weather just has not cooperated well," said Bill Clevenger, executive director of the Decatur Park District. "We'd certainly much rather err on the side of safety and being able to provide a nice wholesome family atmosphere rather than try to do something that might not work."

Fireworks organizers usually have plans ready to reschedule the events due to rain but that hardly ever has to be done, Clevenger said.

"It's rare," he said. "You hit one of those years when the weather just doesn't cooperate and we just have to make alternative plans and make the best we can out of it."

As the festival was scheduled to start Saturday morning, artisans who had come to sell and display their work tried to stick the weather out hoping for an end to the rain. They came prepared with rain gear and tents to keep items dry. But a break in the rain never came as the vendors were about the only ones along the boardwalk.

Some quickly packed their cars up to keep as much dry as possible.

"When it rains, we have to deal with it," said Darren Miller, coordinator of the artisans for Gallery 510. "They're prepared. They're professionals. It's part of the business. It's the nature of the game."

The festival was advertised in national magazines and many of the artisans traveled from other states to be at the event, said Barb Dove, Gallery 510 executive director.

By mid-afternoon the rain became too much and the decision was made to postpone the fireworks, leaving more ducks than people by the lakefront. Musical acts Michael Scherer and Eric Lindell scheduled for the evening were moved inside the Beach House so they could still perform for those who ventured out.

"There's nothing you can do," event producer Brian Byers said as he coordinated logistical changes that had to be made and assessed the financial impact of the changes. "Absolutely nothing. We don't want a rain that lasts (all day). That's unusual."

The festival had enjoyed a run of good holiday weather since moving to be around the Fourth of July.

"This feels like Memorial Day," Byers joked.

Lakeside succeeded SummerStart, which had been a Memorial Day fixture. That event was often accompanied by rain, which prompted the move to the weekend before or of the Fourth of July.

This year is the third time for that change.

Organizers were hoping the fireworks would draw a large crowd to the park, and believe that can still happen with good weather today. The forecast is for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80s.

Getting the fireworks ready could not have happened safely as the rain continued to come down, Clevenger said. Decatur's display is loaded onto barges from shore before being brought out onto Lake Decatur, anchoring the barges and readying the fireworks to be shot, Clevenger said.

Adding to the problems with all the moisture, some of the fireworks are encased in paper-like cases, he said.

"Unfortunately you put all those things together and it doesn't have a good result for us at the end of the day," Clevenger said. "The rain just precluded all the preparation time."

The weather also affected other Decatur Park District events taking place this weekend. The Staley Firecracker Road Run/Walk had 125 participants who ran through the rain, Clevenger said.

"With the temperature and the little rain, it was a nice morning to run," Clevenger said. "It wasn't a great morning for a spectator, but it wasn't a bad morning for the runners at all."

The 40-50 team State ASA Under-14 girls softball tournament at Rotary Park - the largest state tournament of its kind this summer - was washed out Saturday. Play should be able to pick up again this morning, Clevenger said.

Byers hopes everyone whose plans were wiped away for the holiday will come out to Nelson Park today when better weather is expected.

"Hopefully we'll be all right," Byers said. "They can come out. We'll do all the work."

Vendors will stay open during the evening festivities, although alcohol sales will end with the close of the Lakeside festival at 4 p.m. Clevenger expects a large crowd and urged spectators to use caution and exercise patience coming in and out of the park.

Having another day in the weekend helps to make it all happen, he said.

"Bring the family and watch the fireworks," Clevenger said. "We'll have a traditional Park Singer Fourth of July and a finale to the holiday."

Entertainment editor Tim Cain contributed to this report. clusvardi@herald-review.com|421-7972