Weekend sun brings big numbers after tough start.

KINGSTON — What once was lost in Kingston’s Tiny Town last Thursday was found by Friday: tiny townspeople.

Along with the setup of the games, activities and events on Thursday came weather with attitude.

The thunder, mist and rain was not conducive to attracting people to the tiny ghost town. The dunk tank line was barren but there was no one waiting in the spitting rain volunteering to be dunked anyway.

“It’s pretty quiet for today,” said Tiny Town volunteer and Kingston resident Britt Ann Samples, looking around at the more than 30 people, mostly volunteers. “It’s usually more packed.”

Daphne Graham, 8, first heard the thunder while helping her parents, Samantha and Joey Graham, in charge of this year’s Tiny Town setup.

“It was sort of freaky because I was playing and all the sudden I heard the thunder. I was, whoa,” she said, wide-eyed.

Aptly after the first round of thunder sounded, the deejay gave into temptation, blaring Garth Brooks’ “Thunder Rolls” through the loud speakers.

“It’s a lot of fun, normally,” said Joey, who emceed the event. “The Fourth is just bananas. It’s just all about the kids.”

Speaking of bananas, this year’s banana — also known as leopard — slug races were a big, slimy hit.

“I will not touch those things,” said Samantha, who hired two local boys to trap the slug racers.

Apparently a trap out of beer and lettuce leaves suffices to attract the alcoholic arthropods in the woods, she said.

“Slugs are motivated by beer.”

The rain didn’t deter kids from doing the cakewalk, however.

“We had to do the cakewalk in pouring rain and thunder clap,” Joey said. “I was surprised that so many people still came out for it.”

As Friday rolled around, however, the clouds rolled out. Lines of tiny townspeople formed and lengthened to get faces painted, ride the gigantic blow up slide and race in the pedal push cars.

There was even someone sitting in the dunk tank.