Riverside Concert Band Celebrates 150 Years of Music at Fairmount Park

The Riverside Concert Band is turning 150 this year, and it's throwing a party worthy of the milestone.

Founded in 1876 to mark the nation's Centennial, the band is the oldest all-volunteer band in America, according to Charles Anderson, the band's president. Its members — ranging in age from 16 to 90, some with nearly five decades of service — receive no pay.

"We are not here for the money," Anderson said. "We serve by sharing our gifts and talents through music. Knowing our purpose helps to keep us focused on serving our community."

That commitment has carried the band through 150 years of Riverside history. It performed at the first Mission Inn Festival of Lights, the laying of the Riverside County Courthouse cornerstone and time capsule, the opening of the Victoria Street Bridge and the first Easter Sunrise Service on Mt. Rubidoux. The band also played for President Theodore Roosevelt's campaign tour through Riverside and the grand opening of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library.

Ward 1 Councilmember Philip Falcone, whose ward includes Fairmount Park — designed by the sons of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted — said the setting is fitting for a celebration of this scale.

"For this park to be the background for Riverside Concert Band's 150th anniversary celebration seems the most fitting of places," Falcone said. "I hope this inculcates a sense of community pride in knowing that generations upon generations of Riversiders have enjoyed this music, have played in this band, and have stood — or danced — where we stood. It has to make one feel like we are connected to the Riversiders who came before us."

To mark the anniversary, the band will host Festival at Fairmount on Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fairmount Park, 2601 Fairmount Blvd. Seven additional ensembles will perform alongside the Concert Band: the Moreno Valley Wind Symphony, Long Beach Concert Band, Pomona Concert Band, Valley Winds Community Concert Band of Temecula, Empire Wind Ensemble of San Bernardino, American Legion Post 79 color guard with a National Anthem performance by Nannette, and Cahuilla Indian Birdsongs.

Anderson encouraged first-time attendees to arrive early and bring a lawn chair. "An individual who has never heard the band perform will be totally surprised at how professional the band sounds," he said. "No recording or video creates the same energy, excitement, and thrill as a live performance."

More information: Festival at Fairmount takes place Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fairmount Park, 2601 Fairmount Blvd., Riverside. Admission is free. Food trucks will be on site. No alcohol permitted. More at riversideconcertband.org.