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Washington Evening Journal
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Mt. Pleasant’s summer soundtrack returns with the Community Band
Lawn chairs, pie, and live music — Mt. Pleasant’s Community Band is back in Central Park this summer, kicking off a season full of hometown talent, tradition, and toe-tapping tunes under the trees
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MT. PLEASANT — In Mt. Pleasant, summer Thursday nights mean music in the park, homemade pie, and neighbors gathering under the leafy canopy of Central Park to celebrate a tradition that’s as enduring as it is beloved.
The Mt. Pleasant Community Band kicks off its 2025 season on June 12, continuing a decades-long legacy of bringing free, live music to the heart of town. This year, the series opens with a performance by The Flannel Jammers, featuring Mt. Pleasant Middle School Principal and local guitar talent Mark Adams. The group will fill in for the band while director Adam Creager is out of town, offering a lively mix of folk, country, and rock tunes from the 1950s and ’60s.
The full band returns the following week, with concerts scheduled for June 19, June 26, July 3, and July 10. All performances begin at 7 p.m. in Central Park, where concertgoers bring lawn chairs or settle on benches and picnic tables beneath the shade of towering trees. It’s an atmosphere that feels more like a weekly reunion than a formal concert — where music floats over the lush grass and families gather to enjoy a slow, sweet slice of summer.
As always, the P.E.O. will serve homemade pie for a freewill donation during each concert.
More than a musical group, the Mt. Pleasant Community Band is a community in its own right. Its members span generations and experience levels, from students and school staff to longtime musicians and retirees. Rehearsals are held Tuesday evenings at Mt. Pleasant Middle School beginning June 17, and anyone is welcome to join as their schedule allows.
Last summer, the group played through rain and wind, underscoring a commitment to both music and community spirit. That sense of continuity and connection has kept the band going strong, year after year.
The band also will return to the Henry County Fair this season, after a year’s absence. A smaller ensemble will perform at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at the Wright Family Pavilion.
Between Community Band seasons, Creager received the Karl King Distinguished Service Award from the Southeast Iowa Bandmasters Association, recognizing his outstanding leadership in music education and his commitment to supporting young musicians.
He returns to the helm this year with all intentions of continuing to pays tribute to Karl King’s legacy by regularly performing his compositions at the weekly concerts — a tradition now expected by return guests.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com
