This year marks a milestone for the Iola Municipal Band as it celebrates its 150th anniversary. It’s the oldest performing band west of the Mississippi, according to remarks by percussionist John Sheehan at Thursday night’s performance.
The free concerts are every Thursday at 8 p.m. on the downtown square for the months of June and July.
According to local lore, the tradition was begun by veterans returning home from the Civil War who missed the camaraderie of evenings spent around the campfire, perhaps inspired by tunes such as “John Brown’s Body” and “Yankee Doodle,” or consoled by the melodic “Home, Sweet Home.”
