FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vintage Band Festival to return August 1-4, 2013

4 Days. 30 Bands. 100 Concerts.

Northfield, MN – The 3rd Vintage Band Festival will take place in Northfield, Minnesota on August 1-4, 2013. This international music festival is a four-day celebration featuring 30 bands from across the United States and abroad with 100 concerts showcasing a variety of genres, heritage influences and period-style performances.

An estimated 15,000 people enjoyed the music at Vintage Band Festival 2006 and 2010. “With a larger number of bands and a more extensive concert schedule, we expect that we’ll draw even more visitors to Northfield,” commented Dr. Paul Niemisto, the Festival’s Artistic Director.

Ensembles participating in the Vintage Band Festival 2013 include some exciting international bands, nationally recognized vintage bands, Midwestern vintage ensembles and a number of Minnesota-based brass bands and community bands. For a complete list of the roster and links to individual band websites, visit www.vintagebandfestival.org.

Auxiliary events surrounding the festival are: vintage base ball, ballroom-style dance, vaudeville entertainment, Battle of the Bands, Massed Civil War Bands Concert, Lunch Listen & Learn concerts, historical musical instrument exhibit, Sunday music in area churches, and the Early Brass Festival gathering of the Historic Brass Society (New York). All performances are free and open to the public, although financial donations are encouraged. Dress in vintage attire is usual, but not required.

Events begin at noon each day. There are performances on the hour and every ½ hour at various venues throughout the city well into the evening. In observation of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, there will be a Battle of the Bands on the banks of the Cannon River.

The Vintage Band Festival will also be collaborating with the Saturday morning Riverwalk Market Fair.

Surrounding communities will also collaborate through satellite VBF performances.  Events are scheduled in Dundas, Faribault, Owatonna, Cannon Falls, Kenyon, New Prague, Red Wing, Chatfield, St. Peter, New Ulm and Linstrom.

The Vintage Band Festival 2013 is a non-partisan, non-profit community organization. For more information, go to www.vintagebandfestival.org.

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.

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