Families enjoy Mother’s Day concert in Lombard

Sarah Martinez said it would be hard to picture a nicer Mother’s Day afternoon.

The Villa Park resident was in Lombard’s Lilacia Park with her husband and two children Sunday, eating a picnic lunch and listening to a live performance from Bill O’Connell Chicago Skyline Big Band.

“The weather today is just gorgeous,” Martinez said. “This park is very close by, and we love having picnics together. The music, as far as I’m concerned, is a bonus.”

The band, which specialized in big-band classics, got started at 1 p.m. Sunday, part of Lilacia Park’s ongoing Concert in the Park series. Dozens of people took advantage of Sunday’s pristine weather to sit in lawn chairs or lie on blankets and listen to the performance. Many brought picnics with them, giving the park a mini-Ravinia kind of feel.

“Honestly, this was kind of a last-minute thing,” said Bill McNamara of Lombard, who attended with his wife, Karen. “Some other plans fell through. But sitting out here in the park, enjoying the sun and weather, makes for a nice afternoon.”

Lilacia Park will host a number of other special events throughout the spring and summer, including a wine tasting on Friday, May 18. For information, go to lombardparks.org.