It took less than 24 hours for organizers to realize they had hit a home run in moving forward with the Centerfield Music Festival – a two-day event that will feature the likes of Brett Kissel, Trooper, Aaron Pritchett, and Carolyn Dawn Johnson.
Twenty-four hours is all the time it took to sell-out of all 2,800 two-day passes that were released on March 2. Tickets were available at two locations in St. Paul, and online through the event website.
“I’m just overwhelmed. I think that’s probably the only word to describe it,” said Kissel, over the phone Friday afternoon, when speaking to the Journal. “I’m so thankful, and surprised. But, very appreciate of the support we’ve gotten.”
After last year’s Hometown Homecoming proved to be a success, organizers, along with Kissel, decided they wanted to do something bigger and better for the community. And while they have doubled the number of days the event will last, going from a one-day event to two days, Kissel says the amount of talent that will be involved in the festival will be exponentially bigger.
When deciding to move forward with the Centerfield Music Festival, Kissel says he referred to a saying he learned from his parents and grandparents.
“Start. Stop. And Keep.”
He says the first key to success is to look at what you should “start” doing, and then you should look at what you need to “stop” doing. Then, you need to decide what you should “keep” doing.
When asked if he had any hints he could share as to who else might be joining the acts at the music festival in June, he kept his response rather vague.
“All I’ll say is that we’re very proud of our roots in Alberta. And we’re very proud of what Canada has to offer.”
Although future events might feature artists from south of the border, this time, the show will be focused on Canadian talent.
“We’re going to enjoy this time and celebrate as Canadians,” said Kissel, in reference to the Canada 150 celebrations taking place across the country this year. Specific announcements on other acts will be released in the coming weeks, confirmed Kissel.
When asked about the future of the music festival, given it’s early successes, and his involvement moving forward, Kissel said he hopes to stay involved as long as the community wants him to.
“That has everything to do with the community,” and if the community decides it wants to see others performer, Kissel says he will understand, but until people get “sick and tired” of him, he will continue to make an effort to come back and entertain.
With just a few short months left to plan, organizers will be busy putting all the pieces into motion, to make sure the Jaycee Ballpark is ready to host the biggest party of the summer.
On Friday morning, event co-producer Keynon Ternovoy confirmed that all 2,800 tickets up for grabs on Thursday morning had sold out in less than 24 hours.
“We’re ecstatic, and maybe a little bit overwhelmed,” he said. When asked if more tickets could be released, he kept his response simple, saying, “We’re sold out at this point.”
He noted that there would be more exciting announcements on artists and the venue in the near future, so people should keep their eyes open over the next month.
