Cold weather and wind couldn’t keep the crowd away from Saturday’s free activities downtown.

Patrons bundled up in jackets lined the streets of downtown for RiverFest’s arts and crafts exhibits and the Old Court House Museum Flea Market.

About 2,000 people were on the streets today shopping, though the total crowd for daytime activities is hard to estimate, said RiverFest organizer Joel Angle.

The chilly weather might have cut the crowed back a little, but no rain fell on the day’s activities. The National Weather Service had previously called for a 20 percent change of rain throughout the day.

“We couldn’t have asked for better weather really, everyone was concerned about the rain but it came and went at exactly the right time,” Angle said.

Chiara Guardo and Andrew Hoyt of Vicksburg strolled through the rows of vendors early Saturday afternoon as they made their way down Washington Street from after leaving the flea market on the way to the RiverFest craft fair.

“We are working our way down,” Hoyt said.

The weather didn’t deter them from coming out, but they didn’t plan to stay for Saturday night’s concert headlined by Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

“It’s still got good energy, but it’s definitely cold,” Guardo said.

Dana Grant and her mother, Camelia Abbott, spent the morning shopping at the Old Court House Museum Flea Market before Abbot’s 50-year class reunion.

Grant said she shops at the flea market every year.

“We don’t go to anything at night, but we come out for this,” Grant said.

Vendors at the events said business was slow but steady at the lines of booths selling items ranging from antique bottles to modern art.

The table at Jim Ferrell’s booth on Jackson Street was covered in a variety of festival mainstays — shiny toy guns, small statues and model cars.

“It’s not rushing, but for the weather being like this, it’s pretty good,” Ferrell said.

Ferrrell, of Magnoila, said he’s been participating in the Old Court house Museum Flea Market since 1980, and hawking wares at the festival is a bit of a family tradition.

“My mother did it 10 years before that, and my sister’s got a booth set up over there,” he said pointing toward Cherry Street.

At Washington and Crawford, a handful of vendors gave a preview of fare available at the upcoming Vicksburg Farmers Market that opens May 5.

In the Farmer’s Market section, the biggest hit of the chilly afternoon appeared to be goat milk ice cream made by Carroll D. Pierce of Seminary.

“It’s a little slow because of the cool weather, but we’ve sold a variety of what we brought,” Pierce said.

At Vicksburg Convention Center hundreds jazz fans packed the main exhibit hall for Alcorn State University’s Jazz Fest. After their performance, Alcorn State drummer Joel Jackson of Hattiesburg and trumpet player Brandon Sanders of Greenwood headed to RiverFest to take in the smooth sounds of the Jackson Sate University Jazz Combo performing on the north stage.

Sanders, who only recently started playing jazz, said he relished the experience of getting to take in the sights and sounds of other musicians.

“I thought it was pretty interesting to see all of the different styles,” Sanders said. “I get lost in it sometimes.”

Jackson said he had been interested in jazz as long as he could remember.

“I grew up on Duke (Ellington), Thelonious Monk and all those cats,” Jackson said.

He planned to skip the night at RiverFest in favor of jazz stars Mulgrew Miller, Ed Howard, Russell Malone, Terri Lyne Carrington and Tineke Postma.

“It’s a must,” Jackson said.