Despite constant rain and the potential for severe thunderstorms, music lovers came out in droves Saturday to enjoy the music venues that are always a part of the annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee.

Gospel music took center stage at J.A. Pickard Auditorium at the School of Discovery, delighting hundreds.

Some had stopped off in the school’s parking lot for a bite to eat from one of several vendors set up in the area. Plenty of food was there for the asking, including fried green tomatoes, which a vendor said she purchased fresh from a market in Birmingham.

Strains of “I Woke up this Morning with my Mind on Freedom,” floated out the front doors of the auditorium and

Across town at the old National Guard Armory, R&B enthusiasts literally flooded in, navigating a soggy parking area and plenty of rain drops.

A couple from New Orleans purchased tickets to the venue simply to get their hands on a t-shirt commemorating the annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee.

Elsewhere, some worked to gain access to the music. Mouhamed Job, an exchange student from the Sudan, and two others sold posters outside the gospel venue.

“We are doing this for community service,” Job explained, as he smiled at the music pouring out of the auditorium.