Rogers Hometown Hockey hits Lacombe, Alberta

Sometimes you don't have to hop on a plane to be part of something new and unique. Sometimes, new and unique comes to you.

That was the case in Lacombe, Alberta this weekend, when our little main street was turned into a hockey-loving winter festival, all thanks to Rogers Hometown Hockey and Sportsnet. Free for everyone to enjoy, the Hometown Hockey event offered locals a chance to see the Stanley Cup, meet some hockey celebrities ranging from players to announcers, dance to some live music (and also to stay warm), and even get their faces on national television as TV legend Ron MacLean broadcasted live during an NHL game.

Despite the nearly -30 weather this weekend, hordes of dedicated, hockey-loving rural Albertans showed up to the Hometown Hockey event to see the sights, my family and I included. What was there to see and do? Here's my list of our favourite things about Rogers Hometown Hockey in Lacombe.

Live Music

There were a few bands offering up their talents on the main stage, including Jamie Woodfin, Nice Horse, and Ayla Brook and the Sound Men. I was able to catch the tail-end of Jamie Woodfin and his band as they wrapped up their mid-day performance on Saturday, and was amazed that they were out there, in the -27 degree weather, playing with bare fingers. Now that's dedication to the music!

Jamie Woodfin and his band freezing their fingers off while playing for the crowd.

I wasn't able to see the other bands perform. It was a truly chilly weekend, and my kids didn't handle the weather well. We showed up to participate both days, but our visits were quick with lots of stops inside the warm tents and open businesses along the street. I would have loved to see the other bands, but it wasn't meant to be!

On a cool side note, we ate lunch at the table next to Jamie and his band. My kids had just finished their total "I'm too cold" meltdowns (including crying for about 10 minutes in TV host Tara Slone's ear while she valiantly tried to eat her food and ignore us), so we probably weren't the most fun family to sit next to in a restaurant. But the musicians were gracious and even cracked a few jokes, and tolerated my daughter diving under their table to retrieve her lost hockey puck. Thanks, gentlemen, for being so down-to-earth!

See the Stanley Cup

One of the biggest items on my to-do list at Rogers Hometown Hockey was to pose with the Stanley Cup, and maybe even get to touch it. I was able to check off both of those wishes last weekend.

The line-up to see the Stanley Cup was a little bit crazy, with dividers creating a switchback maze all down a large portion of the main street. Hockey fans jammed themselves into those little rows and waited patiently, shuffling along slowly, excitement mounting as their turn in the tent came ever closer.

My little family getting our chance to get up-close-and-personal with the Stanley Cup.

It was cold in that line, though!! There were no heat lamps set up anywhere along the line-up, so we found ourselves dancing, jumping, cuddling, and doing whatever we could to stay warm. My favourite tactic was when two little boys decided the only way to really get warm was to wrestle ferociously on the ground, laughing and giggling as their mother rolled them along the moving line. They provided entertainment for us all!

My son didn't find them that interesting though, and began losing his mind because he was so cold. He cried so hard we couldn't even understand him. When my husband asked him what part was too cold (his fingers? his toes?), Parker wailed, "Outside!" And he wasn't wrong. The outside was too cold!

And then, finally, we were inside the heated tent and standing beside the Stanley Cup. My husband and I quickly shrugged out of our winter jackets so we could proudly display our jerseys, while my daughter insisted on keeping her coat on, and my son continued his crying. Avy loved the 'magical bowl', but Parker wasn't really part of the picture.

Doesn't matter. It is a cool family photo, and one the kids will love when they get older and understand the significance, I'm sure.

Meet some Stars

One of the neat things about hosting Hometown Hockey in your town is that some pretty famous people (in hockey circles) come to your neck of the woods. We had a few in attendance that I was really excited about. The biggest guest to visit, for me, was Ron MacLean, who is actually from the Red Deer area originally. We waited in line for him for quite some time, but were not able to meet him in the end as he had to return to the broadcast booth.

That time I came "THIS CLOSE" to meeting Ron MacLean!

In a funny twist, I did accidentally give Ron MacLean the stink-eye. I had been trying to get a picture of my kids in front of the giant hockey player murals, and people kept walking in between the camera and the kids. Finally, some people stopped to wait, so I bent down to focus the picture and just as I was about to click, someone tromped through the photo. I straightened up and glared at the person... and it was Ron MacLean and his security personnel headed into the autograph tent. Oops. But jeez, Ron, no photo bombing!

My husband Joey (left) meeting hockey player Darcy Tucker (middle).

There were also a few hockey players that showed up to sign autographs and take selfies with fans, including Darcy Tucker, Rich Sutter, and Fernando Pisani. My husband met Darcy Tucker, but we never did make it to see the other two.

Free Gear

There were a lot of generous businesses associated with the Hometown Hockey event. Free gear was being tossed around like candy, including but not limited to: free jerseys for kids 16 and under, free toques for the whole family, mini hockey sticks, cloth bags with the Rogers Hometown Hockey logo on them, Oilers gear like scarves, sticks, and hockey cards, and more I am sure.

Thanks Rogers Hometown Hockey for all the free gear!

When I worked in the elementary school on Monday, I would say 50% of the students were all wearing the same red and black toque - compliments of the Rogers Hometown Hockey event! The whole town now matches!

Ball Hockey for the Kids

Just beyond the music stage, a large portion of the street was netted off for a ball hockey arena. Plastic boards were erected, and safety netting hung along the oval-shaped area for the safety of those watching. Although it was mainly built for young kids to play in, I did see a few groups of adults slip into the arena for a quick game of ball hockey. Helmets and sticks were provided for free use (as long as you returned them), and a few sets of goalie equipment were available for those brave enough to go stand in net.

My kiddos trying their hand at street hockey.

My husband volunteered at the ball hockey rink for all of Sunday morning, and he had a total blast! When we went to visit him and see how he was doing, my kids surprised me by suiting up and heading into the arena to hit the ball around with a hockey stick for about 10 minutes. They went from whining about being cold to playing street hockey with their dad, and I loved it!

Virtual Autographs

In case you missed your chance to get an autograph from a living, breathing hockey star, you could always head into one of the tents to get a virtual photo and autograph emailed to you. A little kiosk within the heated tent allowed you to enter your name, choose a player (from a limited selection across various teams), and enter your email address. Then you posed for a quick photo, which lined you up beside that player, and BING! An email would be sent right to your phone with your 'signed photo' available to download.

Our 'autograph' from inside the Virtual Autograph kiosk tent.

My daughter randomly chose a Dallas Stars player that I've never heard of. But she was happy with the results because her name was on the card.

Photos with the 'Players'

Another kiosk provided you with the opportunity to be basically green-screened into a photo with an NHL player. There were many more choices of players in this photo generator, but we didn't wait in line to participate in this one. This kiosk was outside and not really heated, so my kids wanted nothing to do with it. But we saw a lot of people having fun with it, and some of the photos posted online looked pretty believable!

Kids Zone

Hands down, my kids' favourite place was the heated Kids Zone tent, where table hockey games abounded, along with colouring pages, Lego men, and hot chocolate. It was a fantastic place to go warm up when the kids were getting a little whiny (and by a little, I mean 'unbearably').

The Kids Zone tent had a pretty cool outside design!

There was also a Facebook contest you could enter to win one of the table hockey games, but I forgot to enter! Oh well!

Watch an NHL Game Broadcasted

On Sunday, the Ottawa Senators played against the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal, but the TV announcers broadcasted from a swanky bus parked in downtown Lacombe, Alberta. Pretty neat! Onlookers were able to watch as the announcers chatted, interviewed guests, and talked about our fair hometown and its history.

The broadcast bus on Main Street Lacombe.

A few times the outside camera panned across the waiting crowd, and most people went wild. Kids were flapping their team hockey jerseys, grown men were waving hands in the air (like they just don't care), and my kids stood there and cried because they were cold. Sigh.

At least we got to see Ron MacLean and Tara Slone in action. That was pretty cool.

Generals Hockey Game(s)

I am sure I am missing a few of the events offered at Rogers Hometown Hockey - we didn't get to them all just because of the outside temperatures. I do know one of the highlights was going to watch the Lacombe Generals play in our newly renovated hockey arena. No, it wasn't an NHL game, but it was probably just as fun, and definitely not as expensive!

The kids and I posing at Rogers Hometown Hockey in Lacombe, Alberta.

So that's my take on the Rogers Hometown Hockey event in Lacombe, Alberta. It was a great way to spend a weekend as a family, and free at that! I am grateful that Lacombe petitioned for their chance to become part of this celebration, and happy that Sportsnet and Rogers Hometown Hockey chose our city as one of their locations.

Does anyone else have an experience from Rogers Hometown Hockey they'd like to share? If so, please leave a comment on the blog and I'll be sure to publish it! (Keep it family-friendly please!) As well, I've put together this little vlog video for everyone to enjoy. If you like it, please SUBSCRIBE as I'm looking to hit 1000 subscribers by February 20, and SHARE so I can hit the 4000 hours of watch time needed to stay in the Youtube program. Thanks to everyone who has already!

Happy travels to you, even if they are just down to your main street! :)