Vintage Band Festival

Vintage Band Festival 2022 at Bridge Square

Vintage Band Festival News

  • Vintage Band Festival Interns–Where are they now?

    In the early years of Vintage Band Festival, student interns from St. Olaf College provided operational and marketing assistance to the volunteers and the Board of Directors. Their internships began right after the end of spring semester and lasted for about 2/3 of the summers. Their responsibility ended with a analytical report about the festival and on-campus presentation during the early days of the fall semester. Their stipend was funded by a grant from the Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI) program and their efforts were invaluable to our early success as a young non-profit organization.

    Between 2006 and 2016 we got to know twelve students with varying musical backgrounds and we are still are in contact with some of them today. We thought it would be fun to reconnect with as many of them as we can and introduce them to readers of this newsletter during the next few weeks.

    The former VBF intern that we are highlighting this week is Mitch Evett. Mitch interned with VBF in the summer of 2013 and earned a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Education in 2014. He currently lives in Sacramento, California.

    • What is your work-life like today?

    I teach band and orchestra and piano at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, California.

    • What are your favorite memories from the VBF experience?

    We did so much work leading up to the VBF weekend! It got real when we finally moved our offices into the local printing company that was our home base that year. Once we were there every day and doing boots on the ground work, it got real! I also recall in 2013 we tried a kind of battle of the bands for the first time or one of the first times. So many musicians gathered on the bridge over the Cannon River was a sight and sound to behold!

    • Is there something you learned as a VBF intern that has been useful for later in your life?

    So many things! Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance. The importance of communication and delegation. Working together as part of a multi-generational team.

    • Have you been back to a festival since you interned? If so, when? 

    After graduating from St. Olaf, I worked in Shakopee, Minnesota for 5 years. I attended a couple of the festivals in those years from 2014-2019. I moved to California in 2019 so it has been hard to attend since then. 

    • Are you coming back for this year’s 20th anniversary?

    My wife just gave birth to our first-born daughter, Freya! I will be nesting with my family this summer. 

    • Any other updates you’d like to share?

    I have fond memories of working for VBF and am thankful for all the opportunities the organization provided for me and my partner-in-crime, Ramsey Walker. Happy 20th Anniversary!

  • A Summer of Music in Northfield

    Northfield Community Band

    The Northfield Community Band presents a free concert series in downtown Northfield every June. The series consists of four Thursday evening concerts performed on Bridge Square. The band is comprised of high school and adult instrumentalists, willing to share their talents. The band has been in existence in various forms and using various names for over 100 years. It is currently under the auspices of the Northfield School District’s Community Education Division. The Lead Community Band member for 2026 is Jesse Streitz.

    Northfield Jazz Festival

    Now in its third season, the Northfield Jazz Festival will take place in Northfield July 10-12 at various locations. The headliner this season is grammy-nominated pianist, Christian Sands. The founder and director of Northfield Jazz Festival is J.C. Sanford. Follow them on Facebook @northfieldjazzfestival.

    Vintage Band Festival

    Vintage Band Festival 2026 will take place Thursday, July 30 – Sunday, August 2, 2026. This year’s festival will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the annual Northfield, Minnesota tradition.

    The roster of bands will include ensembles from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Washington D.C., Florida and Europe. Two European bands will be performing: Moritz & Co., a brass septet from Austria and Original Drachenfelser Musikanten, a brass quartet from Germany.

    There will be two stages at VBF 2026, the main stage in Bridge Square and a second stage in Central Park. Performances on Thursday and Friday will be in Bridge Square and performances on Saturday and Sunday will take place in both locations. The complete roster of bands and the schedule for both stages is now posted at www.vintagebandfestival.org.

    Bridge Chamber Music Festival

    Bridge Chamber Music Festival was founded in 2011 by cellist David Carter, a member of the St. Olaf College Faculty. Now in it’s 15th season, the festival will take place during the last week of August. Details regarding the ensemble roster and concert schedule have not been announced as of this writing. Check for updates on Facebook @Bridge ChamberMusicFestival.

  • Did you know? VBF musicians in the movies

    Don Johnson, the founder of the Kentucky Baroque Trumpets, attended a number of Vintage Band Festivals with his ensemble  before he passed away in 2016. Don organized and played in the U.S. Marine Band (President Lincoln’s Own), in the 2012 classic film, “Lincoln”, directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. During one scene, President Lincoln arrives at an unidentified building to give a speech for a flag-raising. While he’s walking to the flagpole, the U.S. Marine Band plays the march “We Are Coming Father Abra’am” in his honor.

    Jeff Stockham, a member of Newberry’s Victorian Cornet Band was also in the film. Both Jeff and Don were once members of another Civil War reenactor band, the Federal City Brass Band. A number of the authentic instruments in the U.S. Marine Band in the Lincoln film were from Jeff’s personal collection.

    In the above photo, Jeff is on the far left and Don is fourth from the right. Don said that he dogged the production company for quite some time after filming was done in order to buy the uniform he wore. After he successfully made the purchase, he admitted that he paid more than he intended for the privilege!

    Newberry’s Victorian Cornet Band is playing at VBF 2026 July 30 – August 2. Check out the complete roster of bands and the Bridge Square Stage Schedule at vintagebandfestival.org.

  • Vintage Band Festival 2026 preview

    Vintage Band Festival 2026 preview

    Vintage Band Festival 2026 will take place Thursday, July 30 – Sunday, August 2, 2026. This year’s festival will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the annual Northfield, Minnesota tradition.

    The roster of bands will include ensembles from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Washington D.C., Florida and Europe. Two European bands will be performing: Moritz & Co., a brass septet from Austria and Original Drachenfelser Musikanten, a brass quartet from Germany.

    There will be two stages at VBF 2026, the main stage in Bridge Square and a second stage in Central Park. Performances on Thursday and Friday will be in Bridge Square and performances on Saturday and Sunday will take place in both locations. The start times for the  concerts will be staggered by ½ hour so that folks can sample both bands during the same hour if they so choose!

    On Friday morning in Central Park the 250th anniversary of the United States of America will be celebrated with a Living History Pageant. The program begins with a recognition of the indigenous people that preceded the arrival of European colonists. Spoken word performances of several significant historical documents and speeches have been planned, beginning with the Declaration of Independence. Musical performances will include band music from the Civil War period and World War I, with a performance by the renowned Doughboy Foundation’s American Expeditionary Forces Band  from Washington D.C.  The Northfield Suffragette Chorus will sing several songs from the early 20th century period of women’s right-to-vote activism.

    Saturday at noon along the Downtown Northfield Riverwalk, a Battle of the Bands will occur. VBF 2026 bands will be placed on both sides of the Cannon River and perform period songs from the 19th century in a round robin sequence. Spectators may position themselves on either side of the river to enjoy this spectacular musical experience.

    Evenings in Bridge Square will be lively with salsa music from La Clave Orchestra and K-Libre 24, the  Brass Messengers, McNasty Brass Band, Too Darn Hot, and the swing band MN Jazz Orchestra. Fireworks will follow the conclusion of  music on Saturday evening. Look for additional performances at the VFW Hall, The Grand Event Center and downtown pubs. On Sunday morning a number of VBF 2026 bands will provide special music at local church services.

    Be sure to follow Vintage Band Festival on Facebook and www.vintagebandfestival.org for the complete band roster, schedule of events, and updates as they happen.

    Vintage Band Festival logo

  • Early Brass Festival call for proposals

    The Historic Brass Society will be hosting their Early Brass Festival, being held in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Vintage Band Festival from July 31-August 2, 2026, in Northfield MN.

    The HBS invites proposals for presentations related to any aspect of early brass or brass bands – including but not limited to band history, pedagogy, repertoire, performance practice, and biographical/historical information. Musical topics related to the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America, as it relates to early brass and wind band history, are also encouraged. 

    Proposals should include an abstract (250 words) and a biography (75 words) with email contact information. Presentations should be no more than 20 minutes; 5-7 minutes of Q&A will follow each presentation. Decisions regarding acceptance of presentations will be forthcoming no later than January 31, 2026. More information can be found at https://www.historicbrass.org/early-brass-festival-2026-call-for-proposals.

    Please send proposals as email attachments (PDF or Word docx preferred) to Sandy Coffin at scoffintpt@historicbrass.org.

    In addition to papers, the Early Brass Festival will include informal playing sessions, social events, and attendance at concerts of the Vintage Band Festival.

    Additional information and updates about housing and registration will be posted after January 1, 2026 on the Historic Brass Society website:  www.historicbrass.org   

  • Vintage Band Festival awarded a Minnesota State Arts Board grant

    Vintage Band Festival awarded a Minnesota State Arts Board grant

    It’s very satisfying to announce that Vintage Band Festival has received a 2026 Arts Experiences grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board! We received the entire $35,000 for which we applied.

    This grant and others we’ve received in the past are made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund established in 2008 by an act of the Minnesota legislature and ratified and renewed by the Minnesota voters. This funding is the life blood of many arts organizations in the state of Minnesota.

    We will use the funds from this grant to partially underwrite Vintage Band Festival 2026 taking place July 30-August 2, 2026. Specifically, we will tell the story of military and ceremonial bands in the United States from the 19th century to the present day. There will be reenactor bands from the Civil War period, the late 19th century American town band period, World War I, and contemporary military and ceremonial bands represented.

    2026 will be the 20th anniversary of Vintage Band Festival as well as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We intend to focus the festival programming on each of these milestone dates.

  • Give to the Max Day 2025

    November 20 is Give to the Max Day in Minnesota. This is the annual day of giving for many of the non-profit organizations in the state. Vintage Band Festival is one of those organizations and we’ve been participating in Give to the Max Day since its inception in 2009. In the 15 years since then, the total Give to the Max Day contributions and the number of  organizations which participate have each doubled.

    There are many reasons for the success of this program, but the two that stand out for Vintage Band Festival are the following:

    1. The convenience of donating to multiple causes on the same platform at the same time
    2. The collaborative spirit the platform and the event elicits and the community building that occurs as a result

    Vintage Band Festival 2026 is going to be a multi-day event  (July 30-August 2) and comes with significant budget pressure. There are no tickets or reserved seats for those who attend the festival, but there are hefty expenses required for its production.

    We need to raise $25,000 by the end of 2025 to be on track to hit our total fundraising goal by the summer of 2026. Your contribution today will go a long way toward achieving that goal.To make a donation today, click on this link: https://www.givemn.org/organization/Vintage-Band-Music-Festival

    Please visit www.vintagebandfestival.org to find out more about our work and follow us on Facebook for regular updates on our progress. Thanks in advance for your financial support!

  • Sheldon Theatre Brass Band Holiday Concert

    The Sheldon Theatre Brass Band will present a free holiday concert on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 3pm. The location is Bethel Lutheran Church, 1321 North Ave, in Northfield, Minnesota. The concert will feature spirited arrangements of familiar Christmas carols and holiday music from the movies. Guest vocalist Debbie O’Keefe will sing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and other favorites. Consider yourself invited!

    This is a family-friendly event and admission is free. Donations will be accepted, with proceeds going to the Rice County Area United Way. 

    The Sheldon Theatre Brass Band is a favorite of Vintage Band Festival audiences. The Music Director of the band is James Kurschner.

  • Vintage Band Festival voted 2025 Best Music Festival of Southern Minnesota

    In an unexpected turn of events, Vintage Band Festival was nominated in the Southern Minnesota Scene Magazine’s Readers Choice Award contest for 2025 Best Music Festival of Southern Minnesota last June. There were four other festivals nominated in the category, festivals in Owatonna, Faribault, St. Peter, and Mankato. Voting took place during the month of June and the winners were announced during the last week of July.

    All of us at Vintage Band Festival want to thank our audience members and fans for voting for us! We are humbled and grateful.

  • Meet the VBF bands part 3

    It’s T-3 days until Vintage Band Festival 2025. So far we’ve featured 7 of the bands that will be performing on Saturday. This installment of VBF News showcases the remaining four ensembles.

    Lake Wobegon© Brass Band

    Lake Wobegon© Brass Band

    The Lake Wobegon© Brass Band is a British-style Brass Band from Anoka, Minnesota. The British style is a tradition noted for its characteristic dark, mellow tone. The name Lake Wobegon© comes from Garrison Keillor’s radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, and was the band was given permission to use the name with the stipulation that the band perform at a picnic sometime for Keillor. The ensemble gives concerts throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas and has toured twice in Great Britain. The band is led by Dr. Matthew George. Lake Wobegon© Brass Band is a Vintage Band Festival veteran performer.

    RLC Jazz

    RLC Jazz

    RLC Jazz, an 18-piece big band, was formed in 2005 by members and friends of Roseville Lutheran Church (RLC) and is led by John Helgen on keyboard. The band’s first event was Roseville Lutheran’s New Year’s Eve service on December 31, 2005. They now play a free concert every New Year’s Eve, and it has become an annual tradition. Listeners and dancers are both welcome! The band also plays for Sunday morning worship, concerts, and other events throughout the year, utilizing a wide variety of repertoire ranging from big band standards to contemporary jazz to arrangements of hymns. They have played numerous venues in the Twin Cities area including riverboat cruises, weddings, ballroom dances, community events (Taste of Rosefest) and even went on tour in 2016!

    Selby Avenue Brass Band featuring Thomasina Petrus

    Selby Avenue Brass Band

    The Selby Avenue Brass Band takes its name from an extremely well-known neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota. The group is led by Tom Wells, tubist, arranger and composer and music educator in the Twin Cities area. Tom’s compositions and arrangements fuel a band comprised of enthusiastic and experienced musicians (including a couple of Grammy winners). While their musical roots come from the streets of New Orleans, they expand from that genre into many others. Thomasina Petrus is a Minneapolis actor and jazz vocalist, known for her signature role as jazz icon Billie Holiday. Selby Avenue Brass Band is a veteran Vintage Band Festival ensemble.

    New Prague Area Community Band

    New Prague Area Community Band

    The New Prague Area Community Band is a dynamic, nonprofit organization of volunteer musicians who share a love for playing music that entertains diverse audiences. Their members range from high school students to grandparents, united in their passion for making music that’s enjoyable for all. Rush Wagner is their conductor and he has a flair for creating wonderful programs. This ensemble has been the first band to perform at every Vintage Band Festival!