But they had a special connection with the cause.
"I'm here to support my boy," Randy Lascious said, gesturing to his stepson Evan, 13. Evan and his brother Alistair, 14, both have autism. 

For the Roberts, building awareness among their sons' peers was why the punk rock festival was so important. 

Mother Kristian Roberts said that Alistair is teased a lot because of his specific brand of high-functioning autism. It affects his social skills to a greater degree than his learning development, so classmates don't realize that he has autism. 

Evan, on the other hand, "loves being around people," Kristian said. In fact, they were trying to get him onstage later. 

The picnic was the second punk rock benefit hosted by Finding a Way Foundation, which Michael Noonan, chairman of the board, called "an awareness generator." Noonan said he hoped to have 5,000 people attend but guessed that about 1,800 fans had trickled in that morning. 

At $20 per ticket, the organization needed a good number of attendees to raise money. "This show is not inexpensive to put on," Noonan said. It cost about $70,000 to get set up, he guessed. 

While attendees like the Roberts family were there to support the cause, some of the audience was simply there to hear the bands. 

Punk music aficionados, decked out in black leather and colorful hair, arrived in Winnebagos to pristine Irvine Lake in Silverado to hear their favorite acts. 

The music enthusiasts danced around the stage in that peculiar punk style that looked more like fighting than dancing. They could also munch on massive grilled turkey legs, buy band T-shirts, and even get tattoos in a special tent near the stage. 

The weather was beautiful and sunny on the lake. "Today is perfect," Noonan said. "I couldn't ask for a better day." 

Noonan pointed out that this event has special meaning to families with autistic members. "We get a lot of kids with autism out here," Noonan said. 

Many of the vendors and bands were doing their best to help cut the costs for Finding a Way. Linda Vititoe, who owns the Office Bar and Grill in Santa Ana, donated the profits from the event to the organization. 

"We try to give back as much as we can," she said while flipping burgers for a queue of hungry music fans. 

Even some bands gave back. "We're not making a profit at all," said Michael Fleck, lead guitarist for Joe's Garage. "We just want to help." 

Despite the support, Kristian worried that the message about raising awareness for autism would get lost during the concert. "Most people will leave and not know what autism is," she said. "They have a lot more heart than organization."