If there are two things the city of Champaign loves, they are music and open alcohol ordinances.

The Champaign Park District, along with mayor and liquor commissioner Don Gerard, gave the city a reason to come downtown to hang out and enjoy some local bands play music ranging from acoustic, to popular covers, to country-blues. Area residents came out in the thousands Saturday to the Champaign Music Festival to enjoy some tunes, brews and — for a change — cooperative July weather.

Mayor Gerard specially issued an open alcohol ordinance for the event, which consisted of three music stages located at the intersections of Main and Market, Main and Neil, and Chester and Walnut. As the city’s liquor commissioner, Gerard has often issued special ordinances to get the people of the city to come hangout at events like the Champaign Music Festival and Streetfest.

Streetfest, which took place on Green Street in late June, was put on by the Champaign Center Partnership in collaboration with the Champaign Park District, featured one fewer stage and a music lineup more tailored to the college demographic — and fewer people in attendance.

Many establishments in the downtown area set up bars to take advantage of the outdoor alcohol ordinance.

Musical acts started playing at 6 p.m. and the 10 acts performed across the three stages until around midnight.

Eliot can be reached at [email protected] and @EliotTweet.