Lawn chairs, picnic blankets and even a few table cloths filled the stage park in South Buchanan Street as people thronged to enjoy the evening.

“It’s the vibe in the air; you can feel it,” said Cindy Cassady of Edwardsville. “Everyone is excited and it’s just a good time.”

“It was great, we had a great time,” Edwardsville’s Doug Cassady said. “It’s kind of nice to see everyone visiting each other, hanging out.”

The Cassadys were at OE’s outdoor concert last year and plan to attend all future events as well.

“It’s not just enjoying it, it’s our access to opera,” Cindy Cassady said. “We’ve always loved being able to go, but we can’t afford it. And this being free, it just gives us a glimpse and something we’d like to do.

“And the band is fun,” she said. “They let us converse with them a bit and have fun with them as they come and go.”

Two artists from St. Louis attended the event in an attempt to capture the sentiment in the air Friday.

Sarah Lorentz was invited to attend the event as she will be creating the banner for OE next year. She decided to try her hand at painting live from the concert while attending and invited her friend, Amy S. Miller, to join.

Both artists use paint as a medium, but live painting was a newer experience for them. Lorentz said she usually paints landscapes and Miller said that while she paints scenes like the opera in her gallery, she usually does not paint live.

“It’s a little over the top and out of my element, but sometimes it’s also when cool things happen,” Miller said.

“It’s a bit about trying to capture the feeling of the event rather than the likeness of the characters,” Lorentz said.

“It’s about figuring out the mood or the mood of the situation rather than really working the details into the facial details and things like that because that’s just not possible,” Miller said.

As for what that feeling and vibe was:

“It all seems very joyful to me right now,” Miller said at intermission. “And I really like that. Everyone is happy to be outside and enjoying the weather and even the people singing seem to be really enjoying it. So it’s been a lot of fun for me.”

“I think it’s jovial,” Lorentz said. “It’s very lighthearted and it’s not even what I expected from opera. I was expecting maybe more of a cartoon version of what you think of when you think of opera, and it’s so light, even playful, that it’s also how I approach my art, so I really have fun.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I’m glad to get the chance to see this and know that’s kind of the spirit of the opera band,” Lorentz said.

“I feel like you have this perception that opera is super serious and it’s, it’s been super fun,” Miller said.

Performers for Friday’s concert included Emily Birsan, Sofia Troncoso, Emily Fons, Eric Ferring, Matthew Newlin, Robert Mellon and accompaniment by pianist and OE Artist-in-Residence Joseph Welch.

Christine Brewer, Grammy Award-winning soprano and artistic advisor to OE, performed “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to celebrate OE’s 5th anniversary. She was accompanied by Marie Brown on the cello. The song is one Brewer recorded with John Williams.

OE Founder and Artistic Director Chase Hopkins hosted the concert. He said part of his job is to find out what it means to bring opera to the community.

“I think there’s no better example than what we’re doing here tonight, which is a beautiful free concert with all of you and just enjoying this beautiful weather and wonderful music,” Hopkins said. .

For more information about Opera Edwardsville, visit www.operaedwardsville.org.