On Monday, May 29, the Merrill City Band will make its first appearance of the 2017 season. The group will join together with veterans, service members, auxiliary, scouts and others in helping to honor those who serve or have served our country. The band will begin at 10:30 a/m/ at St. Francis Cemetery, with the ceremony to follow at 11 a.m. Vocalists Saydi Stewart, Tiffany Townsend, Josh Olson and Jim Bjorklund will join the band with a wonderful new arrangement of “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor,” “God Bless America,” and the National Anthem. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the Merrill High School Auditorium. The public is invited to attend and bring lawn chairs.
Concert season opens June 21
Normal Park Gazebo City Band concerts begin on Wednesday, June 21, and go until Aug. 2, with an encore concert on the west side on Aug. 9. This year’s themes include “California Themin’,” “April May March in June,” “An American Celebration” (hopefully with a community choir), Polka Man, Go,” “Taking The World By Storm,” “Jolly Rodgers and Hammerstein,” and “Back To The Future II – A New West Side Story.”
The annual costume concert with activities for kids, face painting, coloring contest, prizes, concessions and more, will be held on July 19. The band is partnering with The Haunted Sawmill and Vincent Mudgett to present “Things That Go Bump In The Night,” a Halloween themed concert. The band will be in costume and kids and audience members are encouraged to do the same. Who says you can’t celebrate Halloween in the summertime? Activities and concessions by the Lions Club, Band Boosters, and HAVEN start at 5 p.m., with the concert at 7 p.m. More information will be available in the coming weeks. Mark your calendars for the Merrill City Band home opener on Wednesday, June 21.