Colts, Kevin Costner go the distance at the Field of Dreams

As the Major League Baseball postseason gets into full swing this week, it was just a few months ago that the Colts were starting their 2014 drum corps season not on a football field but on the baseball diamond. Nestled away in Dyersville, Iowa, about 30 minutes west of the corps' hometown of Dubuque, is the baseball field where the iconic "Field of Dreams" movie was filmed. The Colts helped celebrate the 25th anniversary of the blockbuster during a special event on June 14 that was attended by thousands including a group of celebrities the likes of Kevin Costner and Bob Costas. "The field is something that can get overlooked and is tucked away, but it has always been a nice visit for us," Colts Director Vicki MacFarlane said. "The music and movie have been a nice connection and point of inspiration for many Colts members through the past 25 years." Colts members performed at the movie set turned tourist attraction in 2013 when they debuted the new uniforms they'd wear during their 50th anniversary season. The connections made during that visit led to an invitation for the group to come back this past summer for a repeat performance. Highlights of the events over Father's Day weekend included a Q&A hosted by sportscaster Bob Costas about the movie with cast members including the film's star Kevin Costner. Costner and others took the field the following day for a celebrity softball game. This is when Colts members had their chance to perform and shine. The game kicked off with the National Anthem sung by Colts member Jess Fuller. Then the corps' brass section performed an arrangement of James Horner's "A Place Where Dreams Come True," from the film's Academy Award-nominated soundtrack. The piece has been part of the corps' repertoire as a warm-up and encore tune since the early 1990s not long after the release of the movie. Actor Timothy Busfield, known as Costner's brother-in-law in "Field of Dreams" and for his parts in TV shows like "The West Wing," commented to corps members as they exited the field, "James Horner would have loved that." MacFarlane says that it was little moments like those that made taking time out of a busy rehearsal schedule an unforgettable experience for her corps members. "The celebrities were side by side with fans, which is something I hadn't seen handled so openly," MacFarlane said. "So it was very much a 'bring everyone together' type of event. Bob Costas actually bought a ticket to our raffle fundraiser!"