On a day when its main thoroughfare would normally be bustling with activity, Mother Nature stepped in and put a damper on things.

Business carried on as usual in Palmerton on Thursday, but the products that would normally have adorned storefronts along Delaware Avenue never saw the light of day.Rainy weather marred the start of the 42nd annual Sidewalk Sale, as storefronts were bereft of any outdoor products other than a Phil's french fry stand, which never opened.If not for the signs placed inside the windows of several storefronts, onlookers may have suspected the sale was that of a myth rather than an actual reality.Despite the rain, business remained on the upswing inside Hager Furniture, at 242 Delaware Ave., according to owner Jeff Hager."We've been amazingly busy," Hager said. "We have a lot of people in the store."Perhaps that was due, in part, to Hager's son, Tyler Hager, who hosted an Alex's Lemonade Stand.A student at S.S. Palmer Elementary, Tyler, 8, decided to host the stand to help raise money for pediatric cancers.Tyler said the stand was in memory of Cameron Zelienka, a 6-year-old girl who lost her life to a brain tumor last year.Just several hours into his fundraiser, Tyler said he managed to raise over $400."I almost raised my goal of $500," Tyler said. "I did this to help raise funds for cancer."In addition to lemonade, there was also a bake sale and drawing inside. The stand will also be open today until 6 p.m.The sale, which spans several blocks of Delaware Avenue, continues today until 8 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to closing.Hager said the weather that's been forecast for today and Saturday figures to bode well for businesses who partake in the sale."It's so hard to put things out (on a day like Thursday)," he said. "Tomorrow's (Friday) going to be the big day."