Before colorful explosions lit up the Texas sky, Maylee Thomas testified, Little Big Town harmonized and the crowd dug into their pockets to subsidize a new Habitat home for a local family. 

Dr. Jennifer Buchanan, a local orthodontist and founder of Smiles for Habitat in McKinney, has a noble dream this annual event will eventually raise enough money to help Habitat build several homes each year.  

Judging by the turnout and the enthusiasm of the crowd, it would seem Dr. Buchanan, the 2009 McKinney Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, is well on her way to turning that dream into a reality. 

Dr. Jennifer Buchanan, founder of Smiles for Habitat

In 2008, this concert and festival raised $30,000 to build a Habitat home and attracted approximately 6,000 music fans.  While the totals aren't in for the 2009 Smiles for Habitat, some estimate as many as 10,000 people attended the concert and fireworks extravaganza Sunday in Adriatica, a Croatian village currently being developed in McKinney's Stonebridge Ranch. 

This year's event will benefit Habitat for Humanity and help the Roberto Osornia family realize a dream of their own --- move into their very own home, a home they have already poured move than the required 500 hours of sweat equity into.

The Roberto Osornia family and Dr. Buchanan

Activities began at 5:00 p.m. Sunday with a slate of children's activities and helicopter rides to tour Adriatica.  Shilah Phillips, Miss Texas in 2006, sang the national anthem and Lone Star Attitude entertained early concert goers.

At 7:00 p.m., McKinney's own Maylee Thomas Band kicked the concert into high gear with soaring vocals and covers that ranged from U2's "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" to a medley that included Woody Guthrie's "This Train is Bound For Glory." 

The Maylee Thomas Band enlists the help of McKinney Mayor Brian Loughmiller on tambourine.

The band even managed to coax McKinney Mayor Brian Loughmiller onto the stage to play tambourine for one song. 

The concert headliner, Little Big Town took the stage at 8:30 p.m. and wasted no time in giving their fans exactly what they had come to hear.  With polished, four-part harmonies, revolving lead singers and a remarkable backing band, Little Big Town churned out the songs that have earned this group a loyal following: "Boondocks," "A Place to Land," "Fine Line," "Bring it on Home," and a great cover of The Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town."

Little Big Town

 

The 2009 Smiles for Habitat Concert and Festival closed with a moving fireworks display that lit up the night sky over Adriatica.

Little Big Town photos

Maylee Thomas Band photos

Festival photos