Coleman Hawkins had an album called "The Hawk Flies High," but Saturday afternoon at the Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival looked more like blues musician Elmore James' LP "The Sky is Crying."

Gray skies and rain doused a marginal-sized crowd in the afternoon, and it looked as if the annual festival's main showcase would be soured by the weather.

Mark Sheehan, who co-founded the event and the Coleman Hawkins Jazz Society with Alonzo Weston, a St. Joseph News-Press reporter, said he was worried when the rain started up.

"Outdoors festivals are always a challenge. It rained through the Missouri Western State band. But we had parents there, so we had a captive audience who wanted to see their kids play," he said.

The people did come back, though, in decent amounts. By 8 p.m., overcast weather gave way to mostly sunny, blue skies - and about 200 people crowded Coleman Hawkins Park in Felix Street Square equipped with fold-up chairs.

Though the rain may have kept people away for the afternoon, it couldn't keep some who attend the event annually from going home.

Dave and Vicky Weddington, of Wathena, Kan., said they show up to the jazz festival every year and were prepared to enjoy the music, rain or not.

"I'll still continue to come as long as I'm alive," Mr. Weddington said. "It's nice and soothing."

It wasn't the same for Donald Porter, of St. Joseph. Though he said he attends the jazz festival every year, he went back to his home when the rain started, only to come back.

"I came back when I heard the lady (a female guest singer for Steve Hall and Friends) singing," he said. "I've got to stay until the jazz stops or until it starts back raining."

Both Mr. Porter and Ray Jackson, of St. Joseph, agree that the festival provided some much-needed public entertainment to the area.

"It's good entertainment. Much better than having people running around in the streets," Mr. Porter said.

Mr. Jackson said he decided to trade in his day off at home by setting up a lawn chair beside Big Daddy's BBQ stand at the festival and mingle with people.

"It's nice to have something out in the square. I wish they would have something like this every weekend. They always say how they want to bring money into Downtown. Do something like this," he said.

New additions, including jazz band Steve Hall and Friends and Latin jazz group Ashanti Latin Jazz, seemed to be embraced warmly by the audience.

"The crowd really responded. People started dancing and, at an event like this, that's pretty major," Mr. Sheehan said. "We're very impressed."

Andrew Gaug can be reached at andrewgaug@npgco.com.