North Iowa Band Festival Committee Announces 87th Festival Honorees

MASON CITY, Iowa — The North Iowa Band Festival Committee has announced the honorees for the 87th annual North Iowa Band Festival, set to take place Memorial Day weekend, May 21–25, 2026. This year’s celebration will carry the theme “Band, Birthdays, and Brass!” 🎺

Three individuals with deep ties to music and the community have been selected for top honors, recognizing their longstanding contributions to the festival and the region’s musical heritage.

Kevin Schultz Named Grand Marshal

Kevin Schultz, a lifelong Mason City resident, has been named Grand Marshal, an award established in 1937 to recognize significant contributions to the festival’s history and success.

Schultz’s connection to the festival dates back to childhood, when he watched the parade from outside Curries Hardware, where his father worked. That early experience inspired him to pursue music, eventually playing trombone throughout his school years with the Mason City Marching Mohawks, graduating in 1975.

In the late 1990s, Schultz became involved in leading the parade’s Trombone Fanfare. He later took over organizing the group, expanding it from six members to as many as 20 musicians annually. Today, he remains active in several local ensembles, including the Mason City Municipal Band, New Horizons Band, North Iowa Concert Band, and the Nonsemble Swing/Jazz Band in Clear Lake. He also participates in Mason City’s annual Tuba Christmas.

Schultz said he is “deeply honored and humbled” to serve as Grand Marshal.

Amy Fleming Receives Klempnauer Award

Amy Fleming has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Klempnauer Award, which honors dedicated volunteers who work behind the scenes to support the festival.

Fleming has served on the North Iowa Band Festival Committee for more than 27 years, joining in 1999 at the invitation of longtime chairperson Vance Baird. Her involvement spans decades, from marching in the parade as a student to later watching her own children participate.

She has also played a role in bringing the festival to a wider audience through live television broadcasts. Among her most cherished memories is surprising her father, Tim Fleming, with the Grand Marshal Award during a live broadcast in 2015.

Fleming said she is honored to be recognized as part of a tradition that means so much to the community.

Jeff Kirkpatrick Honored with Band Master Award

Jeff Kirkpatrick will receive the Band Master Award, established in 1990 to recognize retiring band instructors for outstanding contributions to music education.

Kirkpatrick devoted 41 years to teaching music, including 34 years as Director of Bands at Osage High School. He also served as a middle school band director in Osage and worked in the Rockwell-Swaledale Community School District earlier in his career.

Under his leadership, the Osage High School concert band earned recognition six times as Iowa’s top Class 2A concert band and performed at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference—one of the program’s highest honors.

In addition to teaching, Kirkpatrick has been an active performer with the Mason City Municipal Band since 1985 and has participated in multiple regional ensembles.

Festival Recognition Events

All three honorees will be recognized during the North Iowa Band Festival parade on Saturday, May 23, beginning at 10 a.m. They will also be honored at the Awards Ceremony later that day at 1:45 p.m. at the Principal Pavilion in downtown Mason City.

The annual festival continues to celebrate the rich musical traditions of North Iowa, bringing together performers, educators, and community members for a weekend of music and festivities.