The Ackley German Band is preparing for another performance at the Iowa State Fair this year.
The band will present a preview concert of their state fair performance Monday in Wellsburg. The Ackley German Band dates back to the early 1900s. Jeff Frazier is a member of the band and spoke with RadioOnTheGo News about how the band was formed.
“I’m looking at a picture from 1907 and it’s got sauerkraut band on the big bass drum and about 20 men holding horns and dressed like clowns. But you can see they’re on Main Street in Ackley. So that’s probably the roots of the band. But then it went on and played at Sauerkraut Days and we’ve got notes that say different bands were formed. In the ’30s it went to become an Ackley municipal band but playing German music because there’s a lot of German heritage here in Ackley. Then in the ’60s, the Rotary Club was formed and many of those members played together and started a band that would play at Sauerkraut Days. But the way it is now, the Ackley German Band really got going in 1992 under the direction of Connie Raymeyer and Merle and Leona Hunt. And it’s been going pretty much ever since.”
Frazier says Monday’s performance will help prepare them for the state fair.
“It’s nice to play in the surrounding communities. We always play in Ackley and we seem to get a concert in at Wellsburg every year too. And Mary Jean does a nice job of promoting it. And that’s a nice thing for us to do to have a kind of a dress rehearsal for the state fair because the state fair is usually our last performance of the year and this is kind of a dress rehearsal or warm up for it. So we’re ready to go at the state fair typically on the first Saturday of the state fair.”
Mary Jean Nederhoff is another member of the Ackley German Band and says they have been performing annually at the state fair for over 30 years.
“I know when I first started we did two performances at the fair on two different stages on that Saturday, which was a lot to ask because it was a lot to get coordinated, to get our equipment to those stages and get set up. And that’s a lot of playing for, especially for some of the older players, playing two concerts in one day. In 1983, they were asked to play at the state fair for the first time. And as far as I know, that we’ve never missed.”
The preview concert is Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Wellsburg City Park Bandshell as they will present a variety of polkas, marches and show tunes. The band will then perform at the Iowa State Fair August 9th at noon in Pioneer Hall.
Photo courtesy of band member Jeff Frazier, from 1907, when the Ackley German Band was known as the Sauerkraut Band
