Ellicott City resident Sue Falls brought her daughter, Jamie Nash, and granddaughter, Alanah, to Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday afternoon and memories surrounded her.
"I told my daughter when we were walking in, 'There's those signs about how Led Zeppelin opened for The Who [at Merriweather in 1969]. I was there!" she said. "Now I'm here for graduations and health fairs."
Sweltering temperatures did not keep an estimated crowd of 5,000 from attending Celebrate Merriweather at the pavilion, promoted as "a day of fun for everyone," and marking the end of the 40-day celebration in honor of the 40-year anniversary of Columbia's founding by James W. Rouse.
Plenty of family-friendly activities were available throughout the day, including an inflatable Moon Bounce, rock-climbing wall and obstacle course. Habitat for Humanity offered families the opportunity to build and decorate birdhouses, and men on stilts wobbled among the crowd as children got their faces painted, clowns made balloon animals and magicians amazed young and old with their mysterious tricks.
As the day wore on, families began to return home and an older crowd came out to enjoy the evening concerts by the Young Columbians and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
For some, the free festival was a way to celebrate a lifetime of memories in Columbia. The pavilion opened in 1967.
Chuck and Caroline Sherman, Columbia residents for 23 years, were in attendance with their 4-year-old granddaughter, Ruby.
"I used to come to the [Columbia] birthday celebrations with my kids," said Caroline Sherman. "Now I'm carrying on the tradition. It's a great day for families. ... Everyone working is so kid-friendly."
She added: "We went all through the health fair and had a ball," as her husband used a complementary pack of Band-Aids to dress a small cut on Ruby's finger.
Howard County General Hospital organized the health fair, which offered free screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, vision and more, and local specialist offices handed out samples.
In addition to the main stage, four smaller stages had been set up throughout the grounds to showcase performances ranging from dance recitals to alternative rock bands to physical fitness demonstrations.
Leticia Henry, a recent Howard High School graduate, was one of the performers with Ellicott City's Dance Foundations Studio.
'Very hometown'
"It was a smaller crowd than I'm usually used to, but a lot of Columbia is here so it's very hometown ... ," said Henry, 18, a jazz dancer. "A lot of family and friends are here to support us. It's a wonderful experience to perform at Merriweather."
Fellow dancer Lisa Jones agreed.
"I was a little scared at first, but once I got started it was fine. It was a lot of fun performing here," said Jones, 13, noting that she was planning on staying at the festival after changing out of her brightly colored, sparkly dance uniform.
Ellie Martinez relaxed in the grass to the sounds of Kenny Cunningham, an acoustic rock artist performing on another stage. She had recently finished her shift at a clothing store at The Mall in Columbia.
"A few customers mentioned that they would be heading over here, but I didn't really think about going until I was leaving the mall and heard music coming from Merriweather," the Columbia resident said. "It's a good thing I came. It's a really good atmosphere, and the food is really good even if it's a little expensive."
Vendors offered everything from chicken and french fries to Italian ice to gourmet nuts. Sodas, water and alcoholic beverages also were available.
"It's all food that reminds me of what I ate during the summer when I was a kid," said Martinez, 24. "This place even smells like the boardwalk."
A crowd estimated at 3,000 to 4,000 attended the concerts featuring the Young Columbians and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Verna Parker has been a Columbia resident for 40 years.
"We've been here since the beginning," Parker said. "[My husband and I] made the decision to live here because we knew, even back then, that it would be a center for the arts, a cultural center."
She said she was most excited about seeing the Young Columbians perform.
The group was formed in 1975 at the request of Rouse and went on to gain national recognition for its energetic performances.
Group reunited
Sunday's performance was the first time the original group had performed together in 30 years, and neither they nor the audience seemed to mind the brief rain showers during the opening numbers. The group performed energetic songs, and its rendition of "Give Peace a Chance" had many audience members clapping along.
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra followed the Young Columbians' performance on the Main Stage.
"I've gone to several Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performances in the past, and this one is great because it's laid-back, with a very relaxed atmosphere," said Rachael Beech of Marriottsville.
Beech had urged her fiance, Ryan Aiello, to attend the festival with her.
"She suggested it because she thought it would be romantic. You know, mood-setting music and what we hope will be a beautiful sunset," said Aiello, 30. "She was right. I mean, it's a great free date!"