The months of June and July are always busy and exciting times for the members of the Karl L. King Municipal Band.

The band will perform each Sunday evening, weather permitting, beginning this Sunday and continuing through July 27.

This summer will mark the 125th season of summer concerts by a city band in Fort Dodge.

All summer concerts start at 7:30 p.m.. in the bandshell at Oleson Park on South 17th Street. There is no admission charge.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church holds an ice cream social prior to and during the concerts, featuring homemade ice cream and baked goodies for sale.

People attending the concerts are urged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets since no seating is available.

Here is a summary of some of the upcoming concerts.

Sunday – Paul Bloomquist and Monte Leichsenring will fill in for Conductor Dan Cassady, who is teaching at a jazz camp.

This concert will feature marches by Karl King, John Philip Sousa and John Erickson.There will also be a medley of Irving Berlin songs.

June 15 – This concert will feature more marches by King, Sousa and E.E. Bagley. Roger Netz, of Manson, will be the featured vocalist singing “God Bless the U.S. A.”

Selections from the “Peer Gynt Suite” and “Holiday for Trombones” will also be played.

June 22 – This concert will feature “American Overture for Band,” “March and Procession of Bacchus,” “Big Band Signatures” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

June 29 – This concert will feature music from the Broadway musical “Guys and Dolls” plus the “Sandpaper Ballet” featuring the band’s percussion section.

Those are the first four concerts. There will be four more concerts in July with a special Independence Day concert on July 6.

In case of bad weather, a concert may be cancelled on short notice. Cancellation announcements will be made on the band’s Facebook page. There will be no make-up dates for cancelled concerts.

A short history of bands in Fort Dodge

1870s – Small organized musical groups first appear in the city

1901 – Competing groups come together to form one band with Carl Quist as leader

1921 – Quist moves to Oregon and Karl L. King is hired to replace him.

1971 – King dies; W.B. Green replaces him as conductor

1977 – Green dies, Reginald Schive replaces him as conductor

2002 – Schive retires

2003 – Jerrold Jimmerson becomes conductor

2024 – Jimmerson retires

2025 – Dan Cassady becomes conductor