Music & Dance Music-Dance News July-Aug '19 | Page 19

Music & Dance News
Band, Jim Wendolek’s
Jim’s Brewers Band, and
Blake Klaustermeier and
Friends band.
I enjoy the challenge
of playing with other
groups and other musi-
cians.
Other groups I have
recently
entertained
with are The Wendinger
Band, Marv and Car-
rol Nissel’s Band, The
Larry Olson Band, The
Leon Olson Show, Dain’s
Dutchmen, and Lowell
Schubert and Friends,
just to name a few.
When available, I am
always willing to help
my fellow musicians.
Earlier in this writing,
I mentioned that singing
was a huge part of my
July/August 2019
Mike Wendolek continued
playing performance.
ing area.
Along with contribut-
On occasion, I have
ing my vocal talents to been asked to perform
the groups I mentioned, at church polka services
I am a member of the with some of the bands
choir at Holy Family mentioned above.
As my working ca-
Catholic Church in Sil-
ver Lake, and the Faith reer winds down and I
Community men’s choir get closer to retirement,
composed of male voic- I have been dedicating
es from Glencoe, Silver more of my time to the
Lake, and the surround- Continued on page 28
Duncanfest: a fall favorite
Organizers welcome
everyone to attend the
17th annual Duncanfest
Saturday, Sept. 14 and
Sunday, Sept. 15 in Dun-
can, IA, a small Czech
village nestled in the
countryside.
The festivities take
place in the Duncan
Community Ballroom,
where old-time dance
music is the priority.
Four
well-known
bands will take the stage
this year for your enter-
tainment.
Saturday, Sept. 14
Dancing starts at
noon, with Duncan’s
own hometown band,
Malek’s
Fishermen,
kicking things off.
Three generations of
Maleks have kept this
band going strong for
86 years, and continue a
busy touring schedule to
this day.
They feature many
Czech and German fa-
vorites.
Alternating
with
Malek’s is a Minnesota
Band, Adam Sandhurst’s
Jolly Jammers. Hailing
from St. Augusta, MN,
this band travels the
Midwest playing Dutch-
men-style sounds.
Wrapping up the eve-
ning, from 6 to 9 p.m.,
will be the Leo Lonnie
Orchestra from Brain-
ard, NE. Lonnie Piitz
and the gang plays songs
from the Ernie Kucera
musical library.
Sunday, Sept. 15
Sunday
morning,
things start early at 8
a.m., with Malek’s Fish-
ermen Band playing for
the polka Mass at St.
Wenceslaus
Catholic
Church, across the street
from the ballroom.
A breakfast buffet at
the ballroom will follow
the Mass.
The dancing starts
back up at noon with the
featured band, the Leo
Lonnie Orchestra, get-
ting the party back in
full swing.
Page 19
Alternating with Leo
Lonnie Orchestra will be
Brian Brueggen’s Mis-
sissippi Valley Dutch-
men from Cashton, WI,
playing until 6 p.m.
Brian’s band travels
the Midwest playing the
styles of Jerry Schuft
and Syl Liebl.
Queen contest
The annual queen con-
test will take place Sun-
day, as well.
Reigning Queen Cyn-
thia Pokorny Martinez,
from Des Moines, IA,
and Miss Congenial-
ity Kathy Fronk, from
Green Bay, WI, will be
passing their crowns on
to eager recipients.
The venue
The Duncan Ballroom
is an air-conditioned
ballroom with a 50-foot-
by-75-foot
hardwood
dance floor.
Continual renovations
keep the hall updated and
one of the most beautiful
ballrooms around.
The ballroom workers
are volunteers who work
hard to keep this historic
ballroom a great place to
party.
Czech meals will be
served daily, and a full
bar is open for your plea-
sure.
The Duncan Camp-
ground is located next
to the ballroom and is a
great place to spend the
weekend.
Everyone is welcome
to enjoy Duncanfest,
whether it be dancing or
just coming to listen and
make new friends.
Duncan, IA is located
between Britt and Gar-
ner, IA on Hwy. 18.
For
more
infor-
mation, contact Eric
at 641-923-9903, or
hornman77@hotmail.
com; or Bob at 641-923-
3316.
You can also check out
the ballroom website at
www.duncanballroom.
com.