Big turnout for concert

By: 
Gray Hughes

The inaugural Saturday in the Park—Music on the Green held Aug. 1 was a success, according to Janet Wetovick-Bily, executive director of the Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce.

The nice, cool weather on that day was a big help, and the visitors and local attendees were fun to visit with, Wetovick-Bily said.

“It was a joy and a delight to see people bring their pets, sit on their tailgates and picnic, choose a spot to sit and listen and converse with friends,” she added. “It was also terrific to see families enjoying themselves, especially the kids blowing bubbles and dads with their children exploring nature by the bond. Another fabulous sight was the constant stream of vehicles turning in and people hopping out with their chairs and walking over.”

The attendance count was right at 150 to listen to Brent Morris and the Western Acoustics perform, Wetovick-Bily said, which made her very grateful because she did not know how many people would be in attendance.

Visitors commented on how much they loved Hill City and events like this, Wetovick-Bily reported. Followers of Brent Morris and the Western Acoustics said they appreciated “how much Hill City hangs together as a community.”

That, Wetovick-Bily said, was gratifying to hear, as well.

The concert, too, doubled as a fundraiser for the Hill City Food Pantry and was able to generate $205.

The day could not have been possible without many people, Wetovick-Bily said, including Black Hills and Badlands Tourism Association, media sponsor Bethesda Christian Broadcasting, Brent Morris and the Western Acoustics, LeeAnn and Rich Jensen, the board of the Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce, the staff of the Hill City Visitor Information Center (VIC), Hill City Lions Club, Hill City High School Band, Hill City mayor Kathy Skorzewski and the rest of the staff at city hall, Pennington County Sheriff’s Department and Vector Design, Print and Tech.

The chamber hopes to hold events like this again to showcase the grounds at the VIC, especially since this was originally designed as a summer series.

“We were already in discussion before the concert ended about a similar and larger event next year,” Wetovick-Bily said.

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