Poor Festa. Sure, it's the third week in July, so we can expect heat. And sure, with the heat comes the threat of thunderstorms, but can this festival catch a break?

I remember when there used to be that ice carving competition Downtown every winter and it seemed like without fail the organizers faced abnormally warm weather during that event each year.

We can have beautiful weather in July here in Wisconsin, but if you're a Festa fan, you can't help but wonder why Mother Nature never seems to send it to us during the third weekend of the month.

It's not that Festa-goers can't enjoy the event when it's warm. There are the fountain, soda, water, fresh fruit, misting tents (and beer for the adults) and indoor things to see, like the covered Cucina tent, the Focus On Monferrato photo exhibit (in an air conditioned trailer on the north end!), the cinema and art and culture tents nearby, the covered marketplace vendors to name a few.

And even when there are storms, they don't usually last all that long.

The main problem is that before coming out, people watch our weather-obsessed local TV news and they see high temps and a threat of rain and they go to the mall instead. Now, I understand why people make that decision, but I encourage you, if you're thinking of coming to Festa -- 31 years young this year -- don't let the weather stop you.

Despite the forecasts, I spent nearly all day on the grounds yesterday and there wasn't a single drop of rain. There, was, however, a nice lake breeze that made it feel cooler than the day before, even though the temperature was actually higher, I think.