We Day is all about kids. On Tuesday, 18,000 of them — mostly middle and high school students — packed St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center for a day of music, entertainment and inspiration from the likes of Dessa, the Jonas Brothers, Gov. Mark Dayton, Martin Luther King III and Mia Farrow.

The night before the daylong event, celebrities and sponsors gathered at Aria at Jeune Lune in downtown Minneapolis for a smaller, somewhat quieter celebration. Both events shared a common goal: helping to build a community of young volunteers and active citizens.