Jeff Bates peforms on the outside stage at the Lehigh Sring Festival held at Veterans Park Saturday night. Phto by Robert Anderson

The few hundred – maybe 500 people – who turned out to hear the Jeff Bates concert Saturday night enjoyed themselves but the crowds were disappointing to Festival organizers who in past years have seen as many as 4,000 people turn out to see other music stars.

Jeff Bates came from Nasvhille and is a relative newcomer to the Nashville sound to many people and it could have been that he was not as well known as people like those who have performed in previous years.

The concert was free and the temperatures were ideal, in the higher lower 70s and higher 60s.

Plenty of people were at the Festival but most of them were milling around the Midway.

A local country music station was able to bring Bates to Lehigh for the concert.

A large crowd turned out Saturday from noon to the end of the evening to see the baby contetets, which included a diaper derby and the crowning of the Little Princess and Prince and the crowning of the Junior Miss Spring Festival and others.

The Midway was open to 11 p.m. However, in the afternoon, even though there were lots of people at the Festival at Veterans Park, few children were seen on the rides.

One official at the Festival said it could be because the economy is down right now and a lot of people in Lehigh are out of work. The unemployment rate is Lehigh is believed to be around 10 percent or more and there are several hundred people who are losing their homes to foreclosure.

However the Festival was free. There was a small charge of a couple of bucks to park but for the most part, all the entertainment was free, including local bands and local tallent.

During intermission times, the drama class at East Lee County High School on Thomas Sherwin Ave. performed for the large audience who sat on bleachers and brought their own chairs. A beer tent was nearby also for visitors.

Sheriff’s deputies were at the park to make sure there were no problems and they said there were no serious problems.

The Festival continues Monday night. A schedule of events is available in The Lehigh Acres Citizen or go to: lehighspringfestival.com.