His day over, Uncle Sam kept jamming Sunday night, as did the blanket of spectators that covered the lawns of Oak Lake Park into dusk.

The Uncle Sam Jam, the City of Lincoln's Fourth of July celebration, managed to draw a large crowd despite being postponed due to rain two days earlier.

Thousands of spectators ringed the lake and traffic was snarled clear to downtown Lincoln. People even parked on Haymarket sidewalks.

Organizer Dave Norris seemed relieved.

"I'm thrilled," he said. "I'm just glad the folks came back."

Friday's event - the year's first Sam Jam attempt - had what seemed to be a record turnout, he said.

Sunday's effort, without much of the original festivities, still filled the park.

Lisa Polivka, 45, of Valparaiso and her group came for both Sam Jam attempts, although they took their time getting to the park Sunday night.

"We figured they can't do anything until it starts getting dark anyway," Polivka said.

Not far away, Ed Cather and his family landed on the same spot Sunday that they had on Friday.

The bench on the edge of the island in Oak Lake was still untaken at about 7:15 p.m., when they arrived.

"It worked out," Cather said.

This was the first year Cather's family attended the Sam Jam, because in the past it conflicted with holiday plans.

"I think they should have it on a night other than the Fourth in the future," he said.

Traditionally, the event has been held on the Fourth, but it was rescheduled for the day before this year because of Larry the Cable Guy's show at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Sam Jam organizers don't remember a single year when rain has forced it to be postponed.

Luckily for Norris and company, the schedule change didn't put a damper on the jamming.

"I'm pretty humbled by the whole thing," he said.

Reach Zach Pluhacek at 473-7234 or zpluhacek@journalstar.com.