Rain, cooler temps cause cancellations

TAMPA - Rain and cold air made things gloomy around the Bay Area Friday. A weekend of wet weather is on the way, putting a damper on several holiday festivities. It's okay with a lot of folks.

"Christmas doesn't come until the 25th of December and this is a little early anyway," Plant City Resident Leilani Kennedy said.

Plant City's annual Christmas parade was rained out. "I've lived here 50 years and it's usually bad, but today's been an exceptionally bad day," said resident Nora Robertson.

The parade is rescheduled for Friday, December 11th. The tradition has had quite a go of it recently. Last year, a gunman on the loose stopped the parade. In 2007, a 9-year-old boy was runover by a float and died. Safety and well being are always of concern, say those we talked to.

"You got 50 kids wearing rain coats, how easy is it to lose yours or how hard is it to tell which one's yours?" pointed out Travis Morris, also a Plant City resident.

Mary Ann Diggs is glad the parade is postponed. She says she's trying to stay healthy for the holiday season. "People like me can't come out in weather like this because we'll get sick," said Diggs.

Meanwhile, in downtown Clearwater, the stage is set in Station Square Park, but the second annual "Miracle on Cleveland Street" had to be postponed until next Friday.

"Children who've actually never seen snow see it for the first time and are all bundled up and playing in snow for the first time in their entire lives, so that's actually pretty heart warming," said Downtown Manager Courtney Orr.

But instead of laughing children and snow, there were hurried adults and puddles Friday. Orr had to make the call Thursday on whether to go forward with the event. "We couldn't say with all certainty we made the right decision yesterday. But today, thankfully, without a doubt we made the right decision," she told FOX 13.

Tony Starova owns Tony's Pizzeria on Cleveland Street. He's eager for next week, but still a bit disappointed. "A little bit because of the weather, but what can you do. You can not predict that, but we're looking forward for next Friday," said Starova.

He says he was ready for the rush and will be still be ready next week. Starova has high hopes for downtown Clearwater and after last year's "Miracle on Cleveland Street", he believes the holiday event will be a benefit to the area. "A lot of people, they don't usually come downtown. They came that day and it was good for us to expose downtown."

In Tampa, the Wild Wonderland at Lowry Park Zoo closed due to weather Friday. The rain and cold actually shut down the entire zoo, which typically only closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The zoo is expected to re-open Saturday.

Friday's Holiday Lighted Boat Parade in Tampa was canceled because of the rain. A second date is planned for Friday, December 18th.

The City of St. Petersburg canceled tonight's outdoor screening of "Polar Express" in Straub Park. But a media release says tomorrow night, "White Christmas" will be shown as scheduled.

Saturday, the St. Petersburg Santa Parade and Snowfest will proceed as planned.

Lowry Park Zoo announced it's closed for the day due to the weather, and the closing includes tonight's Wild Wonderland.

The City of Tampa canceled the boat parade scheduled for tonight.

The Dade City Chamber of Commerce canceled the annual Christmas parade schedule for tonight at 7 p.m. No make up date has been scheduled.

And Dunedin has postponed its Old Fashioned Christmas celebration until Saturday, December 12. It will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. It will follow the annual Holiday Parade, which begins at 4 p.m.

For a list of Bay Area holiday events and light displays, click on over to the Tampa Bay holiday guide .