Georgia anti-drought festival has few visitors, brings no rain

WOODSTOCK, Ga. (AP) — When planners decided to hold a “rain dance” to end Georgia’s drought, they didn’t plan on one thing — the nice weather gave people other things to do.

“Not much of a turnout,” landscaper Linda Boyer said Saturday, squinting against the sun and scanning the nearly empty parking lot sprinkled with several tables of water-related activities and volunteers.

“There’s a lot of festivals going on elsewhere — the Ellijay Apple Festival, the pumpkin patches, haunted houses, Cagle Dairy’s Corn Maize Festival...”

Cherokee County Water Authority employees were there to hand out pamphlets and water-saving showerheads.

A small wishing well gurgling recycled water sat in the center of the parking lot outside the Woodstock Art Center.

Even a Woodstock dance troupe showed up to perform in the tradition of Native American rain dances — for about a dozen people.

Boyer said the event was a last-minute decision and organized in the last 10 days.

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