More than 10,000 people gathered at Oakdale Park Thursday evening as the Festival Jam officially kicked off the 2015 Smoky Hill River Festival.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of the Festival Jam, which features 16 local and regional bands of every imaginable musical style.  Among those that performed included Soul Preachers, The Banned, The Rob Northcutt Band, Paramount, Everyday Lights and many others.

The event began at 6:00 p.m., but many had been at the gates for several hours waiting to get a good spot near Eric Stein Stage.

Festival Jam goers were also able to enjoy food from some of the food vendors that opened on Thursday as well.

Weather was not a factor in the evening’s event as showers and thunderstorms stayed mainly to the south and east of the Salina area.