HALIFAX - Tens of thousands of fans packed a large Halifax park Saturday afternoon, counting down the hours until Paul McCartney's only Canadian performance this year.

Marcia Ward was one of the first people in line outside the Halifax Common, but said she'd been waiting all her life to see the former Beatle.

"I was born on his ninth birthday and I've been a fan since I was 13 years old," Ward, 58, said as she waited for the gates to open at 3 p.m.

Ward flew in from Indiana on Thursday night and went straight to the concert site and camped out for two nights. She said the ground was hard, but it would be worth it to see the show.

Starting early Saturday morning, people of all ages showed up toting lawn chairs, lunches and cameras, prepared to spend the day.

By 5:30 p.m., some four hours before McCartney was set to take the stage, Halifax rockers Wintersleep warmed up the large crowd under a bright, cloudless sky.

They were to be followed by Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett.

Earlier in the day, people without tickets stopped to watch McCartney as the pop icon treated the crowd to a lengthy sound check that included songs like Yesterday and Lady Madonna.

For people like Ward it was the first opportunity to see McCartney. Others, however, had made the pilgrimage before.

One fan said he'd seen McCartney live more than 40 times.

The mood was upbeat as people enjoyed the sunshine and shared their memories of the band and their favourite songs.

Adele Johnson of Stellarton, N.S., said she vividly recalls watching the Beatles' first North American television appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, while an undergraduate living in residence.

She and her husband, Jim, don't usually attend outdoor concerts but said they were looking forward to seeing 'Paul.'

"It's our generation, it's the Beatles for heavens sake, what else can you say," said Jim Johnson. "I'm sure this place will just be rocking."

It wasn't just fans that discovered McCartney in the 60s that were thrilled to get the chance to see the singer.

Jesse Melanson, 13, of Moncton, N.B., could barely stand still he was so excited.

"I'm pumped. They're my favourite band -- the Beatles and (McCartney) has a bunch of Wings songs that are really good," he said.