Concord's Market Days Festival Opening Day: A Soggy Affair

CONCORD, NH — Vendors, residents, and visitors to Downtown Concord for the opening day of the 45th annual Market Days Festival didn't let the rain showers and thunderstorms get in the way of a good time. Throngs of people were hanging out downtown during the first few hours of the event although, admittedly, attendance was lighter than normal, due to the weather. At least there weren't any suspected microbursts like that time in July 2013, when a severe late night thunderstorm ripped through Concord and destroyed a lot in its wake.

Dawn Badami, the executive director of Intown Concord, the host of the event, said despite the showers, things were running smoothly on the opening day and there was a lot to take in.

The weather for the rest of the festival is looking pretty good though: After some showers on Friday morning, the sun is expected to come out and reach highs in the mid-70s. Overnight, temps will drop down into the mid-50s. On Saturday, the weather will be even better: Sunny and in the mid-70s but some wind gusts reaching as high as 30 mph.

The event is free and the hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There is a full schedule of happenings tonight, Friday, and Saturday. You might even meet a presidential candidate or two.

Got a news tip? Send it to Tony Schinella at tony.schinella@patch.com. View more videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/tonyschinella.