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Law enforcement officers, event organizers and participants all agreed: Chilifest 2009 was a more orderly and civil and less muddy event than it has been in years past.
"It's really not overly busy," said Sgt. Randy Field with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. "It's probably a little quieter than last year, too."
Many Chilifest patrons, it seemed, had figured out from experience what behavior wouldn't be tolerated.
"I think people, just as years go by, are becoming a little more conscious about what they're doing," Field said. "They know we're out here."
But Chilifest 2009 wasn't without its share of arrests and enthusiastic, intoxicated participants.
"This is completely illogical," one apparently intoxicated man said loudly as he was being escorted in handcuffs off the premises.
The Burleson County Sheriff's Office had a unit to take those arrested from the grounds to a command center at Beaver Creek. From there, they took a bus to the jail, Field said.
Colorful tents, couches and washer games could be seen over most of the pasture. There also was at least one slip and slide that appeared to be popular.
Some patrons of the event, such as Zach Crane, were there for the first time.
Crane, who's a senior from the University of Texas at Austin, came with some fraternity brothers.
"If you're under 21," he said, "I'd say you probably shouldn't come. There's cops everywhere, and they are arresting people."
Beyond that, he had no complaints.
"I just love the carefree atmosphere out here," he said. "Everyone's just trying to have a good time."
He also mentioned he was glad he brought his Snuggie blanket, because the temperature dropped significantly the night before.
The chairman of the event, David Towery, a senior agriculture economics major from Houston, said this year's event could be called a success, even if there wasn't a record-breaking crowd.
"I think we probably had about 30 to 35,000 people out here," he said. "Everything went really smooth, and I think people are finally starting to get the system down."
He spent much of the past year planning for Chilifest, he said, and he enjoyed it all.
"I didn't have much free time," he said. "But it was a blast. I got to meet a lot of great people, and just being able to give back and help other people is great."
While the crowd was mostly college-aged, some parents showed up as well.
"We're here to be the designated driver for our kids," said Tammy Robbins of LaVernia, about 40 miles east of San Antonio. "There's a lot more people here than I thought there'd be."
Robbins said she saw some things at the event that struck her as an entertaining mixture of funny and inappropriate. An example, she said, was a man walking around with a sign that read "Free beer for a lap dance."
She and her husband, Randy, said they were looking forward to the musical lineup.
"We really wanna see Cross [Canadian Ragweed]," Tammy Robbins said. "We've never seen them before."
All in all, they said, they enjoyed the Chilifest experience.
"You know, this is mainly for the kids," Randy Robbins said. "But it's fun. It's entertaining."
The crowd might not have broken records, but the sunny weather ensured business was good for Catalena Hatters, which was selling merchandise on the grounds.
"We're doing a little bit better than last year," co-owner Carolyn Catalena said. "I think because it's so hot out there, they're looking for some relief from the sun."
Towery said proceeds for the event, which are donated to community organizations and charities, should be lined up for distribution this week.
"We probably won't donate until the middle of May," he said. "But we'll know how much we can give to who before that. I just want to thank all the patrons, because without them this wouldn't be possible -- we wouldn't be able to give back."
