The 54th annual Tri-State Band Festival is now in the history books and we were blessed with fantastic weather. I am amazed at the talent, dedication, and high level of competition we witness each year at the parade and field events. The performances these bands put on are truly a pleasure to watch each year. We can be proud of our youth and of what each of the band students participating in this year’s event accomplished. It takes countless hours of practicing to perfect their routines, and no matter where they placed, each band should be proud of their performance and hopefully have gained some educational value for their participation. The Tri-State Band Festival Committee is grateful for each band, its members and staff for participating in this year’s competition, and for helping to keep this festival as one of the premier events in the Tri-State area. We were also extremely fortunate to have the Iowa State University band as the guest band at this year’s event. They are a first-class unit and it showed in their performance that afternoon. Putting on an event like this takes many volunteers and much organization to make it run smoothly. As this year’s chairman of the festival, I greatly appreciate everyone’s help in making this event successful. Without all of these volunteers the festival would not happen. Thank you to my fellow committee members, the Chamber staff, the Luverne School District staff, Music Boosters, Luverne City staff, the Law Enforcement, Lions Club, and all of the other civic organizations, businesses and other individuals in the community that donate their time, talents and gifts to support this event. With the continued support like this from the community, the Tri-State Band Festival will be a Luverne tradition that we can all be proud of for many years to come. Mike HaakensonChairman 2004 Tri-State Band Festival committee
