``It was just such a big downpour,'' Mavar said.

Volunteers arrived at Max Berg Plaza Park at 6 a.m. and tried to set up but were repeatedly turned back by heavy spurts of rain, some of it blowing sideways in gusts of wind.

By mid-morning it became apparent that the fiesta would not take place. ``It got real soggy there,'' Littlepage said. Even if the event had gone on, with several hours' delay, organizers decided that the turnout would probably be low because of the condition of the park.

``It was a sad day for the community,'' Littlepage said.

The fiesta will not be rescheduled. Mavar said her phone was ``ringing off the hook'' all weekend long with callers asking if a new date would be named.

Next weekend is Mother's Day, and many Cinco de Mayo participants have other commitments lined up, committee members said. It would be difficult to reassemble such an array of attractions.

``And `Cinco' is `Cinco,' '' Mavar added.

The Cinco de Mayo Committee planned to meet this week to ponder what to do about the financial ramifications of having canceled the event.

``There were certain things we had to pay for, the stages, booths, some of the big-name music ... the games, the slide,'' Littlepage said.

There were also negotiations to be made with certain vendors.

``When all is said and done, I don't think we'll be in the hole,'' Littlepage said. ``We won't be sitting real pretty for next year.''

A long list of sponsorships headed by Marblehead Coastal will soften the blow, Littlepage said. But he said he felt bad for local nonprofit groups that had prepared large volumes of food to sell at the event as a fund-raiser.

St. Clement's Episcopal Church, which traditionally sells tacos, is located across the street from Max Berg Plaza Park and thus was in the best position to recuperate.

The church began selling its trademark tacos from the church patio, posting signs outside and at the park, directing anyone who approached the park as skies cleared.

``There were a lot of people cruising the block,'' Mavar said.

``Actually, we did pretty fair,'' St. Clement's Betty Comer said. The parish sold tacos most of the day Saturday, then again Sunday after morning church services and again Sunday evening after a concert at the church.

``And some people wanted like a bag of meat to take home,'' Comer said. ``So we sold taco kits.''