Hurricane Isaias puts a damper on Lester Flatt Celebration

The annual Lester Flatt Celebration looked a lot different in downtown Sparta Saturday as wind and rain from Hurricane Isaias kept the usual crowds away from Liberty Square.

The celebration typically brings hundreds of visitors downtown for a day of food, shopping, and live music. This year, however, only a handful of vendors braved the weather, and the square that would normally be filled with people was nearly empty.

The music went on, although it wasn't coming from the usual outdoor stage. With the weather making outdoor performances impractical, the city moved the entertainment into its newly purchased conference center, giving musicians and those who came to listen a place to stay dry.

The annual event honors Sparta native Lester Flatt, whose contributions to bluegrass music made him one of the community's most recognizable names.

Despite the weather, the few vendors who set up downtown and the musicians who performed indoors helped keep the annual tradition alive.

Take a look through our photo gallery for scenes from Saturday's celebration, including the vendors who made the trip to Liberty Square and some of the day's musical entertainment.