Sitting on blankets in the grass under the shaded Market Square Park, Houstonians brought in their city's 175th birthday Sunday with soothing jazz, cold beer and a playful interactive theatrical performance that commemorated Houston from the day it was founded to the present day.

As the sun began to set along the city’s skyline, the event’s host, Mayor Annise Parker, offered an introduction that made one proud to be from the Bayou City, and excited the crowd with news of upcoming Dodransbicentennial festivities.

"Houstonians have come from all over the world to live here, and we have the best of the best," Parker said. "Houston is a place with jobs ... lots of jobs. It's a place to work and raise your family, and is full of good eats, a beautiful skyline and great oak trees."

The birthday kickoff is the first of many events to come. Various tours, exhibits and festivities held by nonprofit groups will commemorate the milestone beginning this week. (CultureMap's listings editor Joel Luks explains them in detail here.)

“This year, for our 175th birthday, we decided to tap into the entire city to spread out the celebration,” Parker said. “One hundred and 75 is a big birthday and we want to engage as many Houstonians as possible.”

The event's theme was 'My Houston is Here' and it marked an effort to exemplify Houston's diversity. With the amount of young kids running around and a few event goers possibly as old as the city itself, everyone properly represented the quintessential melting pot that defines the nation.

Downtown District executive director Bob Eury was the emcee for the evening and christened the event with words of Houston's past and future endeavors, but emphasized the city’s robust history and culture.

“One hundred and 75 years ago, John and Augustus Allen put down a $5,000 check to purchase the land for our city, and the following Tuesday they ran an advertisement that said 'Houston is Open for Business',” Eury said.

Mayor Parker said that although the city was originally purchased by the Allen brothers, the money actually belonged to one of the Allen brothers' wives and noted that strong women have always been the backbone of the Bayou City.

“For 175 years old, the city of Houston looks pretty good,” said City Councilman James Rodriguez, and hopefully in the next 175 years the city will continue to get better with age.