Category Archives: BF News

The community is gearing up for the 81st Annual North Iowa Band Festival, which begins Thursday, May 23 in Mason City. Thursday evening’s entertainment begins at 6PM in the Downtown Plaza (weather permitting) and features the John Adams Middle School Band and the season-opening performance of the Mason City Municipal Band. Parade SafetySeveral of the…

Entertainment for the 81st Annual North Iowa Band Festival will include a variety of musical genres. To kick off the entertainment on Friday evening the Mason City High School Jazz Band will be featured on the Main Stage! Following their set, headliner The Dueling Pianos of Andy and Mike, will take song requests from the…

Thanks to generous financial contributions, the annual North Iowa Band Festival remains a free family event. The North Iowa Band Festival Foundation recently announced its annual “Friends of the Festival” fundraising campaign. In 1936, the Mason City Chamber of Commerce started a simple celebration of North Iowa’s musical heritage. Over the past eight decades, the…

Klempnauer Award – Dixie Ouverson The Klempnauer Award was named for Dan Klempnauer, a long-time volunteer and festival supporter, and is intended to honor an unsung hero who volunteers for the festival in a behind–the-scenes role.  This year’s honoree is Dixie Ouverson, who has volunteered in many capacities over the years to help make the…