by Mike Hudgins
Gray clouds and scattered showers were part of the day at Rhythm and Roam on Saturday, June 27, but did little to keep people away from downtown Hamilton.
The annual event, hosted by the Hamilton Downtown Association, transformed Main Street into a gathering place with live music, local vendors, food trucks, sidewalk sales, family activities, chalk art and, yes, wiener dog races. While rain made for a few last-minute adjustments, visitors continued browsing vendor booths, filling downtown businesses and returning throughout the day.
“There were a good amount of people who came out for the wiener dog race,” said Executive Director of the Hamilton Downtown Association and Foundation Matthew Zwicker on the day of the event. “When everything opened around 10 or 10:30, people started trickling in. Now there are a lot of people getting food, enjoying the music and checking everything out.”
Brief showers moved through downtown late in the morning, sending many people into nearby businesses before they returned to the festival once the rain eased.
“We had a lot of people tell us they were going to head inside and then come back for the music later,” Zwicker said. “I’ve been going into the businesses and asking how they’re doing, and they’ve been saying it’s been a good sales day, which is really good to see.”
Business owners, he said, generally shared the same thought.
“‘Good sales. We just wish we had more people. We wish we had better weather.'”
Not everyone viewed the overcast skies as a drawback.
“Multiple people have come up to me today and said, ‘I’ll tell you, this weather is perfect,'” Zwicker said. “We’ve done the late July and August events where it’s hot and muggy and everybody’s sweaty. This is perfect. It’s just a different type of weather, but people are still coming out.”
That sentiment was reflected throughout the afternoon. Families wandered between vendor booths, shoppers moved in and out of downtown storefronts between passing showers and diners gathered beneath awnings and tents. Even as puddles formed along Main Street, the festival maintained a steady pace. Children darted between vendor booths, music drifted down Main Street and visitors lingered beneath canopies rather than calling it a day, waiting for the next break in the weather.
The Hamilton Downtown Association hosted its annual Rhythm and Roam event in downtown Hamilton on Saturday, June 27. Despite scattered showers, visitors came to enjoy live music, local vendors, food trucks, a chalk art competition and wiener dog races. Photos by Mike Hudgins.
The weather did force organizers to make several logistical changes before the day’s performances.
Concerned that rain could reach the musicians and their equipment, organizers relocated the main stage beneath the awning at Bell McCall Ford. The beer garden was moved to accommodate the new setup, and other vendors shifted locations as needed. The adjustments allowed performances to continue without interruption while giving festivalgoers a dry place to gather as showers passed through downtown.
“We have a great events committee and a lot of great volunteers,” Zwicker said. “They’ve really shined today, even with the rain.”
Those adjustments allowed the entertainment schedule to continue despite the weather.
Rhythm and Roam also featured the Big Wheels Race, Vendor Valley, Tiny Traders Market, Kids Corner, sidewalk sales, food trucks and a downtown chalk art competition that began Friday. Together, the activities drew families, shoppers and visitors throughout the day while encouraging people to explore Hamilton’s downtown businesses. The event also served as one of the featured stops along the Bitterroot 50 Mile Garage Sale, bringing additional visitors into the downtown core.
Zwicker said creating reasons for people to spend time downtown remains the event’s primary goal.
“More than anything, Rhythm and Roam is about creating a day where our community can gather downtown together,” he said. “It’s kids seeing their artwork on the sidewalks, neighbors listening to live music, visitors discovering our local businesses and people enjoying a summer day on Main Street.”
As the skies began to clear later in the day, organizers looked ahead to the evening performances, expecting many of those who had sought shelter earlier to return.
“I’m really looking forward to tonight,” Zwicker said. “A lot of people told me they’ll be back this evening for Kyle Hunter and the Mountain Standard and then for Give It To ‘Em, Florabelle.”
By evening, many of those who had stepped indoors to wait out the rain had returned to Main Street, closing out another Rhythm and Roam that proved a little weather wasn’t enough to keep Hamilton residents from coming downtown.