It took just a couple days to physically transform the Jaycee ballpark into a top-notch concert facility, and within a few hours on Saturday night, the field was filled with thousands of people, ready to enjoy a night out, celebrating a whack of local talent.
The Brett Kissel Hometown Homecoming concert was an event that will be remembered by the community for a long time. Not only was the weather impeccable, but also the entire atmosphere on Saturday night was beyond admirable.
And although it was certainly a celebration of Kissel’s own success, the week also offered a chance for Kissel to encourage youth, along with giving other local talents the opportunity to take centre stage.
As he toured schools through the week, Kissel spoke about his passion, and how important growing up in a small town was to his success. Although young people are often encouraged to set realistic goals for themselves, Kissel took that advice one step further, encouraging them to set their sights even higher and “dream bigger.”
And clearly, dreaming bigger is something our locals are good at. The week of events featured a number of big names, such as Jamie Sadlowski, Marcel Rocque and Calvin Vollrath, who have each taken their passion to the next level. Others, like Cassidy Zahar and Olivia Rose, are just taking their first steps to “dream bigger.”
The Hometown Homecoming event itself can also be seen as “dream bigger” opportunity. The idea was a lofty one that we’re sure a few people questioned. But in the end, it was flawless, and maybe even an example of how setting unrealistic goals can pay off big time.
Although much credit has to be given to those involved in organizing the event, to Kissel himself for visualizing this type of homecoming, and the performers who took to the stage, credit it also owed to the community of St. Paul – you showed up and you did not disappoint.
