10/13/2026
Words cannot truly describe the fortune I had to be a part of the first ever Banana Bowl. For five days in DC, I was a part of the culmination of 11 years of work by owners Jesse and Emily Cole as they put on a spectacle like no other.
To be in Nationals Park for five days of set up, rehearsal and pay off was remarkable. To be mere feet from the likes of Lindsey Sterling, Andy Grammer and Penatonix while they performed? Insane. To be a small part of a unique Disney show starring the Jonas Brothers and every member of Banana Ball singing their original song “Look What We Made” was thrilling. To share a field with John Cena was wild. To take in an OAR concert with about 50 people was remarkable.
To meet Lindsey Sterling, Andy Grammer, Marc Roberge (lead of OAR) and have them all be so gracious was surreal. To meet Mike Eruzione and TJ Oshie (who I let know I was a Penguins fan) made the hockey fan in me beam. To be on the field of a sold out Major League Baseball stadium was emotional.
And most importantly, to do so with so many members of my BTV friends and family was the most important thing. I came on board regularly late in the game and I always felt accepted from the jump. At no point did I feel like I didn’t belong or was an outsider. But that’s the entirety Bananaland. There has not been a single person inside of the organization that isn’t a truly wonderful human, something Emily Cole said in her post game wrap up. They have a heart and soul and they protect it. And you feel it.
Thank you to Jesse and Emily for risking so much, building something so wonderful, so unique, and with such whimsy that is slowly taking over the world. Thank you to my entire BTV family for adopting me and letting me in to your world.
Let’s do it all again next year.