SOUTH BEND — The Cove was home to one of the area's largest concerts in years Saturday. For some families, the concert is their only pass to fun this summer.

With tickets in hand, Frances Troyer and her family stood in line. They waited to enter the stadium for a Summer Concert Series with John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.

"I'm very excited to see them," said Troyer.

The estimated 8,000 to 10,000 fans from the area and around the country brought a big boost to South Bend's economy.

"There's a lot of families that decided to make a holiday weekend out of it," said Amy Hill, Director of Marketing and Sales for the South Bend Silver Hawks. "They're staying at downtown hotels and visiting area restaurants."

For many, the tickets are the only pass to fun this summer.

"It's probably our only concert for the summer," Carolyn Rahe said.

The challenging economy kept many families, like Rahe's, closer to home this year.

"I'm working less hours and had a 4 percent cut in pay," Rahe said. "We're not doing any big trips this year."

It's also an experience the Troyer's, from Elkhart, know all too well.

"Everything is going up, groceries, gas, paychecks are going down," said Troyer.

Once inside, music from Indiana's son livened the crowd.
Deserving families had a chance to escape from their troubles one song at a time.