American Idol finalist Alex Preston returned to New Hampshire on Saturday.
The Mont Vernon native was greeted by throngs of supporters in his hometown and again later in the day in Durham.
At a celebration in Mont Vernon, Governor Maggie Hassan proclaimed Saturday Alex Preston day in New Hampshire.
And at parade in Durham, more than a thousand people waited for the Preston to pass by in an open convertible.
He signed autographs for the cheering crowd, and even donned a University of New Hampshire Wildcats sweat shirt, commemorating the one semester he spent at the school before pursuing his musical dream.
“Honestly I did not expect this much support. It blew my mind. It was crazy.”
Now in the top three, Preston says he's still getting used to his nearly instant celebrity status.
“Four months ago, five months ago, no-one really knew who I was and everything just changed. I'm still in shock, like it hasn't caught up with me yet. I'm still the same Alex, you know, like.”
After the parade, Addie Doller, a student at Oyster River High School, was among those in line for Preston's free concert at the Whittemore Center.
“I'm very excited for him. I knew he would get this far, without a doubt.”
The 21-year-old Preston says he plans to return to school at some point after the competition.
He's up against Caleb Johnson and Jena Irene for the title, which will be decided within the next two weeks.
