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North Iowa Band Festival Named "Top 100 Event"
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 The American Bus Association (ABA) announced the North Iowa Band Festival, a Mason City Chamber of Commerce coordinated event to be held on May 22-23, 2009, has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2009. The North Iowa Band Festival event was selected by an elite tourism selection committee from nearly 550 candidates from the U.S. and Canada. Judges considered the event's broad appeal, its accessibility for motorcoaches and skill at handling large groups, and a variety of other relevant criteria. Inclusion in the Top 100 list indicates that North Iowa Band Festival offers excellent entertainment value to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world, said ABA.
The Top 100 Events in North America, now in its 27th year, is ABA's annual compendium of the best motorcoach and group travel events, festivals and celebrations. The honor gives Mason City an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners." Robin Anderson, Director of the Mason City Chamber of Commerce noted, "This event distinction places the North Iowa Band Festival on one of the most sought after lists by travel professionals, motorcoach operators and the general public." The 2009 North Band Festival marks 71 years the event has been held. The event is the largest free marching band competition in the Midwest.
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Cerro Gordo County Named Tourism County of the Year |
 Cerro Gordo County was named Tourism County of the Year during the 2008 Iowa Tourism Conference in Sioux City.
The winning county was chosen based on several criteria including outstanding performance in 2007-2008, outstanding economic impact, effective marketing and a well-rounded mix of local events and attractions.
“Cerro Gordo County really understands the importance of tourism to their local economies,” said Iowa Tourism Office Manager Nancy Landess. “Mason City and Clear Lake work together extremely well in providing information on attractions and events that will draw people to the county. They have a tremendous amount of assets and are capitalizing on them through win-win partnerships that attract visitors.”
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2009 NAHL Robertson Cup Championship To Be Held In North Iowa |
 The North American Hockey League announced the North Iowa Outlaws have been selected to host the 2009 Robertson Cup National Championship Tournament, which will be held April 28-May 2, 2009 at the North Iowa Ice Arena in Mason City, Iowa. The four-team Robertson Cup Championship crowns the NAHL's playoff champion (USA Hockey's Tier II Junior A national champion).
As the host team, the Outlaws will receive an automatic bid to 2009 tournament.
“We are excited to bring our league championship to the North Iowa community in 2009,” said NAHL commissioner Mark Frankenfeld. Rick Wesp, North Iowa Outlaws General Manager added, “This will be a great time for the fan's of hockey in the North Iowa area. Not only will they see and cheer on their own team, fans will see the best teams in the league. North Iowa will see some great hockey played and we all know North Iowa has the best and the loudest fans in the league.”
The oldest junior hockey trophy in the United States, the Robertson Cup is named in honor of Chuck Robertson, a pioneer of junior hockey in the NAHL and youth hockey in the state of Michigan. Robertson was the owner of the Paddock Pools Saints when they won a record seven straight NAHL championships from 1976-83. For more information on the Robertson Cup Championship, visit www.robertsoncup.com.
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New
Stockman House Interpretive Center To Be Completed
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 Looking
for Prairie School style designs by the famous Frank Lloyd
Wright, Walter Burley Griffin, William Drummond and
Francis Barry Byrne? Look no further than Mason City,
Iowa!
A new facility to help visitors experience and understand
the significance of architecture in Mason City and to tell
the story of the Frank Lloyd Wright Stockman House is underway.
This new facility, the Stockman House Interpretive Center,
will complement the existing Frank Lloyd Wright residential
home which incorporated a clever and strong separation of
public and private areas in a dwelling, and sought to include
the exterior environment in both the exterior and interior
of the living space.
Preliminary plans for the Interpretive Center are inspired
by a design by Walter Burley Griffin that was never built,
featuring two interlocking squares. The center will
be located adjacent to the Frank Lloyd Wright Stockman House
and lie just to the north of the Rock Crest/Rock Glen National
Historic District. This district is the largest collection
of Prairie School designed homes on a unified site. The project is slated to be completed by the year 2010.
Currently, Wright and Prairie School architecture enthusiasts
can tour a residential home, enjoy a Prairie School Architectural
Slide Show and Architectural Walking Tour.
Learn more by reading about Frank Lloyd Wright and the Mason City's Prairie School Architecture.
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Tickets Available for Pyrotechnic Guild International (PGI)
Fireworks Shows |
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Tickets are available for the Pyrotechnic Guild International (PGI) fireworks shows  scheduled for Aug. 9-14, 2009, at the North Iowa Fair Facility in Mason City, Iowa..
A grandstand pass for ages 11 and up, good for the Aug. 9, Aug. 11, Aug. 12 and Aug. 14 shows, is available for $45 if purchased before June 30. The price increases to $60 after June 30.
Individual tickets for the Aug. 9, Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 shows are available for $10 per person. The price will increase to $15 per person after June 30. Children 10 and under will be admitted free.
Individual tickets for the Aug. 14 show are available for $15 per person. The price will increase to $20 per person after June 30. No children's discount is available for this show. Tickets are required for people to park at the fair facility for all shows.
Grandstand seating for the Aug. 10 show is free and no advance notification is required. However, parking at the fair facility will cost $10 per car load and no walk-ins will be permitted. On Aug. 10th, competition shells will be featured. There will be no synchronized fireworks displays. Instead, competitors from PGI will shoot one fireworks shell at a time competing for an award.
Ticket order forms are available at www.VisitMasonCityIowa.com/pgi.htm.
PGI is a non-profit organization founded in 1969. It is an independent, worldwide association of amateur and professional fireworks enthusiasts. PGI’s membership consists of approximately 4,000 members whose mission is to promote the safe use of pyrotechnics; encourage public and private pyrotechnics; promote the production and sale of high quality pyrotechnics; and channel the creative energies of talented people into the design, production and display of high quality pyrotechnics through the
More than 2,800 convention attendees are expected to attend the seven-day convention. The convention is a family oriented event that offers programs and entertainment for Pyrotechnics Guild International members. Many technical seminars and classes will be scheduled for the PGI members during the week plus demonstrations, a trade show, an art show, kids programs and the opportunity to shoot fireworks in competition, purchase and sell fireworks and related items. In addition to the PGI convention delegates, area residents will be invited to attend spectacular nightly firework displays. “Everyone will be given the chance to see one-of-a-kind fireworks, incredible ground and aerial displays and exciting competition,” noted Ray Garris, Site Coordinator. “Demonstrations of products never seen before in the United States are one of the many event highlights.”
For more information regarding the Pyrotechnic Guild International visit www.pgi.org. Only members of PGI are afforded access to the convention and only members can purchase fireworks. To be eligible to attend the ‘member only’ convention, membership dues to PGI must be paid between January 1, 2009 and June 1, 2009.
(Contributing Resource: Mason City Globe Gazette)
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Only
Remaining Frank Lloyd Wright Hotel
in the World Currently Under Restoration! |
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Frank
Lloyd Wright designed six hotels in his lifetime.
Only one is left - the Park Inn located in downtown Mason
City, Iowa. A local group of energetic volunteers
are in the process of restoring the facility. The
project vision is to create a four star boutique hotel with
all of the modern day amenities. The project is slated to
re-open on the hotel's centennial anniversary, September
2010.
Plans call
for a large restaurant-lounge area on the first floor
and a skylight room for banquets and receptions, featuring
an immense stained-glass skylight by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The second floor would include a reception room, a ladies
parlor, conference rooms and media room. Guest rooms,
26 in all, would be on the second and third floors of
the hotel and the third floor of the City National Bank
Building, which was also designed by Wright. The hotel
rooms have been enlarged beyond Wright’s original
design to make them desirable for today's travelers. An
elevator will also be built to serve the hotel and bank
building.
 Downtown Mason City will again be blessed with the richness
of a functioning hotel designed by one of the world's most
famed architects. To actually stay in a Frank Lloyd Wright
designed facility will be a rare and memorable experience
and a great addition to the existing Wright attractions
in Mason City.
For more information regarding this restoration project
visit www.wrightonthepark.org.
Also, learn more by reading about Frank Lloyd Wright and the Mason City's Prairie School Architecture.
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