History
The Kingsburg City Band has a long and impressive history. Founded in 1887 it is one of the oldest community bands in the United States. The group has a tradition of presenting quality programs that please young and old alike. Each concert features a guest soloist, conductor or small group. The musical selections vary from Sousa to Stravinsky.
Free Concerts
The free concerts begin at 8 p.m. on Thursday nights in the beautiful Kingsburg Memorial Park. Head east on Conejo (Sierra) off of highway 99 to Memorial Park across from the high school. Save the dates for the 2025 season:
- June 12
- June 19
- June 26
- July 3 (no concert this week)
- July 10
- July 17
- July 24
Directors & Members
The first director of the band was a Swede by the name of Mr. Claus. He was a cornet player and led the first band of 14 musicians in 1887 at the railway platform. Today’s band boasts approximately 80 members in the remodeled band shell. The musicians come from as far as Merced and Los Banos.
There have been a total of 30 directors in its 134-year history. The current and longest standing director of the group is Dale Engstrom. This will be his 48th year as director of the band. The band is made up of farmers, doctors, professional and semi-professional musicians, bankers, you name it! They all share the common goal of loving to make beautiful music together.
Contact Chamber of Commerce
The City of Kingsburg, the Chamber of Commerce and various patrons help support this long-standing, family oriented tradition. For more information contact the Kingsburg Chamber of Commerce at 559-897-1111 or visit the Band Concerts Under the Stars video website.
