Crowds pull out blankets to sit and enjoy Symphony in the Park

Lawn chairs, blankets, and ice chests were scattered about the lawn as listeners sat back Saturday evening and enjoyed the multiple styles of music performed at the 11th annual Symphony in the Park.

During the musical event on the Student Union Lawn at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, people enjoyed music performed by the Rio Bravo Wind Symphony and conducted by Allen Clark.

Listeners were treated to various styles of music performed by the symphonic group, from the lively jumpy notes of the xylophone during the performance of "Irish Washerwoman," to the flowing melody and counter melody of "Huapango."

During the event's intermission, the crowd was treated to a surprise performance by pianist Sergio Godines and soprano Jessica Marcella Lustemberg, who took to the stage in a bright green dress and wowed the crowd with two arias.

The second part of the concert was performed by the UTB-TSC One O' Clock Jazz Band under the direction of Terry Tomlin and David Isadore who picked up the tempo with the fast paced "You and Me."

Their performance was followed by the more classical jazz performances of "One Note Samba" and "Some Kind of Blue."

Music aficionado Gustavo Garcia didn't miss the opportunity to break out a blanket and sit with friends and family as they listened to the performance.

"This is a great event," Garcia said. "This allows the community to be exposed to music that we don't listen to every day. To listen to a performance like this we would normally have to travel to a metropolitan area, while this event puts the music within our reach."

For Ricardo Marroquin, the concert provided him with the opportunity to expose his children to cultural events in a laid-back fashion that didn't require them to sit still in an auditorium.

"They are children, they can run and play and still be exposed to this type of music," he said.