Jun
5
Season Opener: Marches and Fanfares
7:00 PM · Veterans Memorial Park
Playing for Hartford
Since 1880
Free concerts every summer in Veterans Memorial Park. Bring a lawn chair.
See a Concert
Next concert: June 5, 2026, 7:00 PM
Veterans Memorial Park
Free admission. Bring a lawn chair.
Play With Us
Dust off your instrument. All skill levels welcome. Rehearsals Thursday evenings.
Learn More
Our Story
145 Years of Community Music
The Hartford City Band has been playing for its neighbors since 1880. What began as a small brass ensemble in a growing Wisconsin town has become one of the oldest continuously performing community bands in the state.
Every note played at a Hartford City Band concert comes from a volunteer. Teachers, retirees, business owners, students, and everyone in between. They show up to rehearsals on Thursday evenings and to the bandshell on concert nights because the music matters and the community matters more.
The band performs summer concerts in the park, spring concerts, and holiday programs. The repertoire runs from Sousa marches to big band standards to contemporary arrangements. The audience runs from toddlers to great-grandparents. That is the point.
"I have been playing with this band for 30 years. It still feels like the best part of my week." — Tom R., Trombone
2026 Summer Season
Jun
19
Big Band Night
7:00 PM · Veterans Memorial Park
Jul
3
Patriotic Salute
7:00 PM · Veterans Memorial Park
Jul
17
Broadway Favorites
7:00 PM · Veterans Memorial Park
Aug
7
Summer Finale: Audience Requests
7:00 PM · Veterans Memorial Park
All concerts are free. In case of rain, check our Facebook page for updates.
Join Us
Your Instrument Misses You
The Hartford City Band is always looking for volunteer musicians. We need brass, woodwinds, and percussion players of all skill levels. If you played in high school, college, or any time in your life, you are welcome here.
Rehearsals are Thursday evenings at Hartford Union High School, 7:00 to 8:30 PM, from April through August. There is no audition. Show up, sit down, play. If your chops are rusty, they will come back. If you are nervous, you will not be for long.
There is a chair with your name on it.
"I had not picked up my clarinet in 15 years. The first rehearsal I was terrible. By the third week I was having the time of my life." — Karen L., Clarinet
Or just show up to a Thursday rehearsal. No commitment required.
Gallery
Scenes from the Bandshell
