Central Parks' Rainy Days Cancel 'Hamlet' but Doesn't Halt Vampire Weekend

Saturday was all about rain, but that didn't stop hundreds of us from taking the chance of a little dampness to enjoy some outdoor fun. During the afternoon, the [Central Park SummerStage ]was packed with eager kids looking for a good time with [Vampire Weekend](http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2008/06/vampire_weekend_8.html#more). How did they go from barely attracting a crowd last year during a summer show to getting folks to line up in the deluge? You decide if it's good hype or authentic buzz. Whatever your feelings about the blog band, it was an energetic show. "It was literally like a mini-Woodstock in Central Park with thousands of fans dancing in the rain for the homeboys who made good," says Gerry Visco, one of our contributors.

Otherwise, another group of us attempted to catch the evening performance of the Public Theater's [Hamlet ]at the Delacorte Saturday night. I got there a little before 8 and it seemed like the rain would hold, but as we took our seats, the storm erupted. Umbrellas were opened and we waited for the show, but the rain worsened and then the lightening and more rain. I waited for 30 minutes but the show was still delayed and the rain didn't appear to be stopping anytime soon. Was it fun to huddle with hundreds of strangers in the rain? Sure, for a while. As our socks and knees and shoulders were soaked, crowds hooted and hollered for each slackening second. Finally, it was time to give up and wait for the next dry seats to catch the Bard's good work. hey, it's the risk we'll take for a chance for a summer night in the park.

[Photo by Gerry Visco]