DanceFest 2013 May 25 & 26, 2013
Lakeside Ballroom was built in 1927 in Guttenberg, Iowa and was a popular establishment during the prohibition era. The structure, built by William H. Kann and Sons, was erected at a cost of $27,000 and had a dance floor 50 x 160 feet. The dance floor was built with 1 ¼” hardwood maple on springs so that people would not get tired when dancing.
Big bands like Jan Garber, Russ Morgan, Dick Jurgens, Eddy Howard, Griff Williams and Leo Pieper all played under the hanging lights at Lakeside. Lakeside also had big entertainers such as Lawrence Welk, Leo Greco and his Pioneers, Johnny Kettleson, Johnny Cash, Brenda Lee, Tommy Overstreet, Guy Lombardo, Herman’s Hermits, Hank Thompson, Mickey Gilley, The Grassroots, Tommy James and the Shondells, Head East, Willie Nelson and Ray Price!!!
In 2006 Lakeside was purchased by Lakeside Preservation Committee, LLC. Lakeside is currently owned by Jeff and Kari Friedlein and Ross and Mary Abbott. Their goal is to restore the building back to near-original condition and bring back the lifestyle of it’s yester-years.
There were originally 200 ballrooms in the State of Iowa. Lakeside is one of a handful that still remain open. Lakeside is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The original dance floor remains in use today. If you haven’t danced at Lakeside Ballroom, you owe it to your self to experience dancing in this Historic Landmark.
Saturday, May 25—Box Office Opens at 3:30 pm
Kirk Dighton Band w/ Special Guest—Dave Dighton 4:00 pm—7:00 pm
The Kirk Dighton Band is comprised of some of the best musicians you will find in Iowa. Kirk Dighton is the leader of this great group and plays the Guitar, Steel Guitar, Bass and Trumpet. Dave Dighton also makes special guest appearances with the band from time to time. The band plays Country, Western Swing, some Rock plus some of the newer country music of today. No matter the venue, this band makes sure you have a great time!!
Wichita 8:00 pm—11:00 pm
Wichita presents a venue of classic and modern country/pop music ranging from slow ballads to high energy tunes including top 40 and traditional classics that will live forever.
During the past 33 years, Wichita has entertained and impressed audiences at country music shows, ballrooms, lounges, fairs, and wedding/anniversary/firemen’s dances in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. For an area band like Wichita to stay together this long is remarkable in the music business--a big reason for Wichita's long standing success!
Sunday, May 26—Box Office Opens at 1:30 pm
Buck Hollow Band 2:00 pm—5:00 pm
John and Teresa Condon are The Buck Hollow Band. They began performing in 1990, and quickly became a popular band in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. John and Teresa have performed over 3000 shows and dances, including 5 tours of southern Texas performing for “Winter Texans”. The Buck Hollow Band is known for their steady dancing beat and their wide variety of musical styles. They are also known to have a good time on the bandstand! They especially enjoy performing in historic ballrooms, and the Lakeside Ballroom is a wonderful place to perform for the Heritage Dancers!
John is an Industrial Technology teacher at Decorah High School, and Teresa is a Spanish teacher at Waukon High School. They enjoy traveling with their sheltie dog, Cobi, and camping in our area’s beautiful state parks. They also ride their bikes on RAGBRAI each year, and always do a bunch of impromptu performing on the ride. They just put up a new website at buckhollowband.com and invite everyone to take a look!
Memory Brothers Band 6:00 pm—9:00 pm
If you live in the Midwest and if you’re a dancer, you’ve no doubt at least heard the name, MEMORY BROTHERS. But if you’ve not actually seen them, you’re probably not quite sure who or what they are, so read on . . . Doug Koempel and Larry Crandall of West Union, Iowa, formed the MEMORY BROTHERS duo in the late 1960’s. And now in 2012 they continue to delight dancers and listeners of all ages. Doug and Larry showcase keyboard, guitar and harmony vocals to create the sound that has made them perennial favorites for company parties, resorts, conventions, dance halls and ballrooms. Their repertoire is diverse and ranges from 50s, 60s & 70s to standards and traditional country.
Long recognized as one of the most danceable bands in the Midwest, the MEMORY BROTHERS have been honored by being twice-selected (2005 & 2006) as the most popular dance band in southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa by the Bluff Country Readers’ poll. And in 2010 Doug & Larry were inducted into the IRRMA Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to their live performances, the MEMORY BROTHERS have released numerous albums and singles over the years. Several of their records have charted nationally. My Baby Came Back, Dreaming Out Loud, Windows Of My Life and Help Me Elvis continue to receive radio airplay in the U.S., Europe and Australia. Two of their original songs, Learning to Love Once Again and Somebody’s Searching, made it onto the Grammy nomination ballots in 1993 and 1994. It’s very likely you’ve heard one or the other of these two songs without even realizing that they were written, recorded and performed by an Iowa duo. For more information including a complete history of the MEMORY BROTHERS, log on to their official website at: memorybrothers.com
Advance Ticket Sales End at Midnight 5/23/12 Prices go up $2 to $5 per ticket at the door. So order your tickets today!!
Ala Carte Food & Beverages Available throughout the event. Dinner Buffet each evening. Food & Beverages and Buffet are not included as part of the ticket price.
GROUP DISCOUNTS—Order 15 or more tickets of any ONE ticket type in advance and receive an even lower ticket price. So get a group of friends and order all your tickets together!!
Party Bus & Tour Bus Parking is available. Come Celebrate your Graduation, Birthday, Bridal Shower, Anniversary or Other Special Occasion with us!!!
A small convenience fee is added to Online Ticket Purchases to cover the cost of processing.
Tickets are also on sale at The Lakeside Ballroom and the Guttenberg Tourism Welcome Center. A portion of all tickets sold at these locations are donated back into the community of Guttenberg!!