DESPITE APRIL BLUE NORTHERN, FIRST VINTAGE DAYS ROLLED

(Ed.'s Note: About 20 minutes before the scheduled opening of Brownsville's First Annual Vintage  Days Saturday, an unexpected blue northern blew in. The cold front was not expected until later that night, but after the first drizzle, it became apparent that the front was here to stay.

And it did.

But so did the crowds, who took refuge from the rain and cold wind in the refurbished Market Square and in nearby bars and lounges.

The event was promoted as "an admission-free family event set in a two-block area around the recently restored Historic Brownsville Market Square. The event will have a car show, fashion show, music, food, and vendors."

Organizer Gilbert Velasquez said the cold front was unexpected, but he said the crowds never lacked for enthusiasm for the event.

There were some glitches. The group had been applying to the Brownsville Fire Dept. for a "spillover" permit to allow people to take shelter in the roomy Half Moon Saloon in case of inclement weather for at least two months,  only to be told the day before the event that there would be no permit issued.

Instead, fire chief Jarred Sheldon promised that the firefighters would erect a large tent in the street for that purpose. That never materialized and the event went on without it.

Except for small problems like those, the vent lasted well past the 9 p.m. closing time with musicians playing from a stage and raffles for prizes were held in the courtyard between the open space between the Market Square and nearby businesses.

The event was sponsored by – among others – the City of Brownsville, Main Street, the Brownsville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Mike Hernandez's OP 10.33, and the Brownsville Historical Society.