VBF Festival Information

Vintage Band Festival – FAQs

4 days – 30 Bands – 100 Concerts

 

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2013 Interns Mitch and Ramsey with some heavy metal.

  • The Vintage Band Festival is an exciting 4-day international music event. Last year’s festival took place August 1-4, 2013, and celebrated the music and the instruments of past eras. We are anticipating the next large festival, which will take place July 28-31, 2016. The VBF is held in Northfield, Minnesota, the historic, charming river town known for its colleges, art, pubs, restaurants, and music.
  • The performances take place in many outdoor locations all around Northfield. In case of inclement weather, alternate indoor sites will be announced.
  • Festival events are presented free of charge. Festival goers, however, are strongly encouraged to make donations to help us with expenses. In exchange, they receive an official cloisonné designer pin, access to the dance and vaudeville show, and our gratitude.
  • Many attendees bring a bicycle and a folding chair. This is the most historically authentic way to get around to the concert sites. A sun umbrella is also useful.
  • Some of the bands are dressed in 19th Century clothing and some festival goers do the same. Check out the historic horn exhibit at the Northfield Historical Society.
  • Northfield has fantastic food available from the numerous restaurants and coffee shops. Most of the pubs and restaurants will have live vintage band music in the evenings.
  • Dancing! There will be a Vintage Dance (cotillion) on Saturday night- and some spontaneous street dancing too.
  • Vaudeville! An evening of slapstick, pet tricks, silent movies with the North Star Cinema Orchestra.

VBF on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downtownnorthfieldmn

VBF on Twitter: @vintagebandfest

Travel Accommodations: http://vintagebandfestival.org/festival/travel-info/ and http://www.visitingnorthfield.com/.

For travel itinerary suggestions, go here.

Photos and video links, go to http://vintagebandfestival.org/2010-afterglow/photography-and-videography/

Images available upon request.

The Vintage Band Festival is a non-partisan, non-profit community organization.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Cannon River in Northfield

Tourist Information

For further tourist information, contact:

Northfield Convention and Visitors Bureau
Toll Free: 800-658-2548

2013 Festival Ensembles

For a full list of the VBF band roster, go here. The schedule can be found here.

Performance Locations:

  • Bridge Square
  • Odd Fellows Park
  • Central Park
  • Way Park
  • Northfield Ballroom
  • Northfield Retirement Center
  • Northfield Senior Center
  • Three Links Chapel
  • Northfield Library
  • Archer House River Gazebo
  • United Church of Christ
  • Contented Cow Pub
  • VFW Club
  • J. Grundy’s Rueb’n’Stein
  • Eagle’s Club Hall
  • Bands at local churches in Northfield

Rain Locations:

In the event of excessive heat or rain, and in any instance of lightning, outdoor concerts will be moved to rain locations which will be posted shortly.

And in these nearby communities:

  • Faribault
  • Cannon Falls
  • Owatonna
  • Kenyon
  • New Prague
  • Red Wing
  • Chatfield
  • Lindstrom
  • St. Peter
  • New Ulm

  • The 2013 Vintage Band Festival was held in conjunction with the Historic Brass Society’s Early Brass Festival.
  • The Vintage Band Festival is a part of a summer schedule of arts activities in Northfield which features graphic arts, dance, theater and music.