Patch Tour: Rainy Haze at Rummage Daze

Brookfield Patch had high hopes to kick off its at Saturday's Brookfield Jaycees Rummage Daze at Wirth Park.

But alas, the at-times driving rain and wind prompted Patch staff to pack up their laptops, Prize Wheel and giveaways and call it a day. 

Every day this week, Patch editors will be on hand at Brookfield events to meet residents, get feedback and give away goodies. Tomorrow, editor Lisa Sink will be at Brookfield Academy's graduation ceremony in the Patriot Hall gymnasium. (See the list of "tour" stops at the bottom of the story.)

On Saturday, several vendors at the Rummage Daze said they wished organizers had canceled the soggy sale and rescheduled it to a rain date. 

While some shoppers were not deterred by the weather, they had to peruse items covered with tarps and plastic bags. More sensitive antiques and items were hauled back to vehicles for protection, and many vendors packed up and left within the first two hours of the planned seven-hour event.

Susan and David Kratz tried to find the silver lining in Mother Nature's bad timing.

"The traffic has been greater than I thought," David Kratz said.

Susan Kratz said she had already sold enough to make up for the rental fee for the rummage space.

Others didn't mince words, uttering phrases like "this stinks" and "total disappointment."

Organizer Jeff Hansen said mid-morning that he and other Brookfield Jaycees members would discuss whether a second date should be attempted, if vendors were interested.

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UPDATED: Here are links to the other tour events and stories:

• Sunday: 
• Monday: 
• Tuesday: 
• Wednesday: 
• Thursday: .
• Friday: .
• Saturday, May 21: