Summerfest fans nearly ruin girl’s moment with Lady Antebellum - KMSP-TV

It's no secret that Minnesota and Wisconsin have some deep-rooted rivalries, but the rooting went a bit too far at Milwaukee's Summerfest music celebration when some die-hard Packer fans booed a 7-year-old girl during what should have been a magical moment with her musical idol.

What should have been a dream come true turned into a nightmare for the Minnesota girl who was asked to perform before 20,000 screaming fans at a sold-out concert. The experience in so-called enemy territory was nearly hijacked by a loud crowd.

"A chorus of boos rained own," said Ted Perry, during Ted's Take. "Did I mention she was seven? Some of you were booing a 7-year-old."

Bella Scaia knows the lyrics to all the songs performed by her favorite country-pop group, Lady Antebellum.

"I like their music and I think they are good singers," she said.

Scaia is such a dedicated fan that she even did a report for school on the group's lead singer, Hillary Scott. So when her mother won a meet-and-greet with the band, the Scaias were first in line for the Saturday night show at Summerfest.

"Hillary asked where we were sitting," Melissa Scaia recalled. "I said, 'Well, we are sitting close to the front on the left side of the stage."

Eventually, Scott plucked the soon-to-be third grader from the crowd and asked her to tell the crowd her name and where she's from. When she said she was from Minnesota -- and Minneapolis, the Wisconsin crowd nearly booed Bella off the stage before she could belt out a note of "American Honey."

"I was just shocked -- and then I saw her eyes, got nervous," Melissa Scaia recalled. "I thought, 'Oh my God, she is going to cry.'"

Melissa Scaia was just feet away from her daughter at the time and recorded the entire incident with her iPhone.

"I knew it was a Vikings vs Wisconsin -- Green Bay Packers -- reference. She had no idea," Melissa Scaia told FOX 9 News. "I just thought, 'She was seven. Why do it to a 7-year-old?'"

Bella didn't wilt; although, she admits she was nervous. Still, she stood strong an nailed the song, winning over the less-than-welcoming watchers in the end.

For her efforts, Scaia received an autographed tambourine from the band with a message from Hillary Scott that said, '"You are a star. We love you." She also earned an admirer in FOX Milwaukee anchor Ted Perry.

"She was cute. She was nervous," he described while taking to the airwaves in his nightly editorial.

Perry praised the young Minnesotan -- and admonished the boo birds.

"The kid from Minnesota made our loons stop booing. Bella, honey -- I don't know if you will ever see this, but, Bella, we are better people than that," he said. "Sorry it happened to you, but you showed all of them, kid."

Both Bella and her mother were touched by the apology, and they do believe the good aspects of the experience outweighed the momentary booing.

"I feel she did such a good job singing that she represented Minnesota well -- Minneapolis well," Melissa Scaia said. "And once again, the Vikings beat the Packers."