An Amazing Sing-Along

I know you are just dying to know why we were all out so late last night...and on a school night! Well, last Friday my sweetie was talking with a co-worker who mentioned a giant annual sing-along that his family attends every year. It is held at the Energy Solutions Arena (where the Jazz play) and it is hosted by the Miller family who are the owners of the Jazz, the Bees, and most of the car dealerships in the state of Utah.
The event is free to the public, and the first 5000 people get an envelope full of coupons and a treat!

You know how we are about free things...

So on Monday afternoon, shortly after the kids got home from school we fed them all a bowl of cereal and then loaded them up. Teach had a huge project of her own going on, so she wasn't with us, but all the kids from the Dog Walker down including Taco and Burrito filled every seat in my big van. It was raining and a storm was supposed to be blowing in, but we decided to take our chances and go anyway.

We arrived at the arena before the doors were even opened and we huddled with a couple of hundred people for about 10 minutes before they finally let us in. Just as we were told, everyone was given a program full of songs, an envelope full of coupons (including 2 free tickets to a Bees game!), and a doughnut. We made our way to door X and then waited in line again until they were opened. It was another 10 or 15 minutes, but it seemed like an hour. Curly had been asleep and he was crying non-stop. I think he was still mostly asleep, but even after my sweetie took him to the bathroom he was inconsolable.

When the doors finally did open, it was a mad scramble to find good seats. Lots of people went for the ones on the floor, but we settled for a full-on view of the stage a couple of rows up. Curly finally settled down about the time Bossy and Gamer joined us right before the show started. Oh, did I mention that Collin Ray was also performing? If you didn't live through the 90s Country Era, you might not recognize the name, but for my sweetie and me, it was pretty exciting.

They had an orchestra and a TV personality from Fox 13 called Big Buddah running the show. We all sang Christmas songs and then Collin Ray performed. He sang all Christmas songs too, so I was a little disappointed not to get to hear him sing my favorite song, Love Me. But he belted out an amazing O Holy Night! Santa made a quick appearance as did the Jazz Bear. Ron McBride and LaVell Edwards told T'was the Night Before Christmas together and all concessions were half price, really, it was just a fantastic experience. Even the parking was free!

Temple Square

After we left the arena, we climbed on the Jingle Bus and rode up to City Creek and Temple Square. We ate at McDonalds with some gift cards we didn't use on the trip and some free kids meal cards from the summer reading program. The kids visited Santa and each one of them got a free book. Then we made a quick walk through Temple Square before heading back to the van. The night was beautiful with just a trickle of rain and no signs of the supposed storm.

 
All in all the evening cost me less than $10 for the food and about $10 for concessions. I'm definitely putting it on my Christmas wish list for next year...Curly and I just might have to take a nap first.