The community is gearing up for the 86th North Iowa Band Festival, which begins Thursday, May 22 in Mason City. Thursday evening entertainment begins at 6PM at the Principal Pavilion on the Downtown Plaza with the John Adams Middle School Band, followed by the season-opening performance of the Mason City Municipal Band at 6:45PM.
Honorees and Parade
In addition to the marching band competition, the parade will honor Jim Zach with the Grand Marshal Award.
Trinity Lutheran Church will be honored as the Klempnauer Awardee.
Leon Kuehner will be this year’s Band Master Awardee.
Saturday morning’s parade begins at 10AM on Pennsylvania Ave. and Third Street NE. The parade starts at Pennsylvania Avenue and Third Street NE; the area north and east of this corner is used for “staging” the parade entries, and spectators should not sit in this area. Parade entries will be allowed to distribute candy and other hand-outs. However, the first three blocks of the parade are the judging area, which is a designated “NO CANDY” zone. Parents should not allow children to sit in the street or run into the street. Several of the marching bands will require the full width of the street for their performance.
Pets
Dogs and other animals—with or without a leash–are NOT allowed along the parade route on Saturday morning, or in any festival areas Downtown from Thursday evening through Monday evening.
Trash
Festival-goers are encouraged to use the trash receptacles located along the parade route and in Central Park. Private citizens along the parade route are extremely generous in allowing their North Iowa neighbors a great vantage point to enjoy the parade, and the Mason City Parks Department has worked very hard to have Central Park looking its best for guests. Please heed this gentle reminder to dispose of all trash properly.
Bathroom Facilities
Porta-potties will be located along the parade route, at the start of the Stu Nevermann Memorial Run, and in Central Park for the comfort of festival patrons. Please use these conveniently-located facilities and refrain from requesting entrance to private homes or businesses along the parade route or downtown. Accessible porta-potties are available downtown. For the parade, an accessible porta-potty will be placed in the parking lot across from the former YMCA building, which is the area designated for ADA-parking/parade viewing.
Rain
Saturday morning’s parade will be rain-delayed in half-hour increments and is subject to cancellation at 11:30AM. In the event of heavy rain or lightning, festival entertainment will be moved to the indoor pavilion or cancelled. These decisions will be made prior to each entertainment segment (Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening,) if the weather clears.
The Annual Stu Nevermann Memorial Run will begin as-scheduled in the event of rain, but will be delayed in 30-minute increments for lightning.
Severe Weather
Festival officials and the Mason City Police Department will work closely with the Cerro Gordo Emergency Management team to monitor the weather and the potential threat of severe weather. They will rely upon the National Weather Service to utilize the early warning system, if possible. In the event of severe weather, the Mason City Police Department will exercise its authority to ensure public safety. This may include directing patrons to evacuate Central Park and move to nearby shelter (NI Regional Commerce Center, City Hall, Praise Community Church).
Smoking
Patrons attending the entertainment events in Central Park/Downtown should refrain from smoking.
Entertainment
Thursday
In celebration of local talent, the John Adams Middle School Band will kick off the weekend on Thursday night at 6:00 PM, followed by a performance from the Mason City Municipal Band at 6:45 PM.
Friday
On Friday, the talented Mason City High School Orchestra will perform at 4:45 PM at the Principal Performing Arts Pavilion. The Mason City High School Jazz Band will take the stage at 5:30 PM on the Main Stage, followed by Will Barnett and Co. at 6:20 PM, and headlining the night… Trophy Dads at 8:00 PM.
Saturday
Saturday’s entertainment begins with the 86th annual North Iowa Band Festival Parade at 10:00 AM, starting on N Pennsylvania Ave, turning onto East State Street, and concluding at Mason City High School. The awards ceremony will take place at 1:45PM. Noah Harris will get music started on the Main Stage at 3PM, followed by Of Old Magic at 4PM. BYOBrass will make their Band Festival debut at 6PM. BYOBrass draws inspiration from a variety of musical genres to create high-energy original music, along with their take on popular classics. Their live performances, with an eclectic mix of styles, are sure to please audiences of all ages. Closing out the evening, Not Quite Brothers will take the stage at 8PM.
Sunday
This year, the North Iowa Band Festival Committee has added a new day of entertainment! On Sunday at 1PM, enjoy a performance by local duo Tom&Betty on the Principal Pavilion.
Carnival / Concession / Marketplace
The carnival and concessions will open on Thursday evening at 6PM and run until 8PM. The carnival and concession open at 4PM on Friday, 12AM on Saturday, noon to 8PM on Sunday, and noon to close on Monday. Sunday and Monday will be “Wrist Band Days”. The Marketplace will be open Friday at 4PM, Noon on Saturday, and 11AM-5PM on Sunday.
Website
The North Iowa Band Festival website contains the most up-to-date information on all aspects of the festival. www.nibandfest.com.