Shooter Jennings performs Saturday, June 16, 2021, during the Jackalope Jamboree at the Happy Canyon Arena, Pendleton.

PENDLETON — Hundreds of people danced and sang to every flavor of bluegrass, folk, country and rock ‘n’ roll during the weekend in Pendleton while enduring oppressive heat at the Jackalope Jamboree.

The two-day music festival at Happy Canyon Arena tipped off a summer of festivities as Pendleton’s first major live concert since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“It definitely hit hard when all the things on the calendar started evaporating,” said Peter Walters, the event’s co-founder. “I think the industry really early on realized we’re the first to get shut down and will be the last to come back. I think this feels like, for everyone involved, from the security to the staging and lighting and the merchandise managers, everybody has this great feeling that this is the start of everything coming back — of live music coming back.”

The festival had more than 12 acts on two stages, one behind the grandstands and one in the arena. The acts included Shane Smith & The Saints, The Lonesome Billies, Jesse Daniel and headliner Shooter Jennings.

For many concertgoers, it was the first time they had seen live music in months. Several said it felt freeing to finally be at a concert again after months of isolation.

Sam Houghton, a former Pendleton resident who now lives in Grants Pass, said the last concert she went to was the first Jackalope Jamboree in 2019. Though she said the day involved some complaining from the sweltering heat, she was excited to finally be back at concerts with her friends.

“It’s awesome,” said Trina Wicklander, a Pendleton resident and a friend of Houghton’s. “It gives you something to look forward to enjoying with friends.”

Crista Fisher, a former resident of Athena who lives in Redmond, said she was glad to see people in public without their masks on.

“I just love to see these smiling faces, having a good time,” said Fisher, who attended the concert with a friend she met in middle school decades ago.

No matter how enthusiastic people were to finally see live music again, one thing remained top of mind for most concert-goers — the heat.

Temperatures topped 103 degrees over several hours on June 26, according to the National Weather Service in Pendleton, calling the heat wave “historic and dangerous.” Hot gusts of wind throughout the day provided little relief.

Walters said he expects the turnout would have been a little bit larger had the conditions been a tad cooler. He even heard from some people who chose not to come out of health concerns, which he said he understands. Regardless, he was grateful for the people who endured the blazing conditions with positivity.

“As terrible as the heat is, I don’t think anybody looks miserable at this festival,” he said. “So that’s been great to see. People have been so starved for this kind of thing that they appreciate it more than ever.”

Friends and families held water drinking contests, comparing how many bottles they had finished. They wore hats and sunglasses and stayed in the shade near the misters draped overhead to keep cool. Some said they were reluctant to dance too hard out of fear of heat exhaustion.

The crowds slowly trickled in through the day as temperatures remained in the triple digits. They peaked in the evening as temperatures cooled slightly, providing some relief.

Smoke from grilling barbecue, Filipino food and tamales wafted through the area beneath the grandstands where people shared meals and drank beers at picnic tables.

Rawli Rodriguez, the owner of Granny’s Tamales, said he was glad to see people come out and purchase food and support his business after a difficult pandemic year.

“That was horrible,” he said of the pandemic. “COVID was a big hit. But it’s good to see people out here supporting us as we’re out here working hard in the heat.”

Roger Flores, an employee at Granny’s, echoed Rodriguez’s sentiment.

“It’s the support from locals that keep small businesses going,” he said.

Walters joined that chorus.

“We have a huge amount of gratitude to our partners and sponsors and volunteers,” he said. “We’re very, very, very grateful and have been overwhelmed by volunteer support.”