What Do Bemidji and Northfield Have in Common?

One answer to that question is: me*. I’m thrilled to announce that I will give two presentations this summer about my pioneering bandmaster great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs—one in Bemidji and one in Northfield!

In Bemidji, I will be the featured speaker at the Beltrami County Historical Society (BCHS) annual meeting on Saturday, June 18. The event is tentatively set for noon and will include lunch and musical entertainment. Dan Karalus, the society’s executive director, is working out the details, and I am thankful for his enthusiastic support.

The Bemidji Boys Band performed at the Minnesota State Fair in 1922.

Here’s some information about the talk, from the spring 2016 issue of The Depot Express, the BCHS newsletter.

In Northfield, I will speak at the Northfield Historical Society (NHS) during the 2016 Vintage Band Festival (VBF). My presentation is tentatively set for 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, the third day of the four-day festival. Hayes Scriven, the society’s executive director, has generously offered to host the event, and more details will be announced later. I serve on both the NHS and VBF boards, so I am happy to be involved in an event that features both of these worthy organizations.

A photo from my presentation at the Northfield Senior Center in November.

I also am excited to have another chance to speak in town, since some family and friends were not able to attend my presentations in November at the Northfield Retirement Center and the Northfield Senior Center. At the talk in July, I plan to read a couple of excerpts from my book-in-progress, Finding My Musical Family, show photos of my great-grandfather’s bands, and explain the important role community bands played in American society from the post-Civil War years through World War II.

Stay tuned for more details about the upcoming presentations. In the meantime, if you are interested in joining or donating to any of these non-profit organizations, here are the links:
• Beltrami County Historical Society
• Northfield Historical Society
• Vintage Band Festival

*If you have alternative answers, feel free to mention them in the comments!