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Decatur Municipal Band to hold family night June 16th

By Lindsay Romano Jun 15, 2025 | 5:08 PM

June 15, 2025 – As part of its summer concerts series, the Decatur Municipal Band will be presenting a special Family Concert in Central Park on Monday, June 16th at 7pm.

The concert will feature music from popular Disney films and television shows and will be preceded by a wide variety of activities for young people starting at 6pm. The concert will include music from Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, the Lion King, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Wicked, Star Wars and more. Local favorite Zach Garrett will be featured as a vocal soloist and the band will be conducted by the band’s director Jim Culbertson. The concert is free and open to the public. 

Before and during the concert there will be a series of activities designed for young kids to enjoy. At 6pm the popular group from the Decatur Public Library READiculous will read and act out a series of stories for kids. At 6:20 there will be a sing-along of well-known children’s songs hosted by Iris Leahy, Muni Band member and music teacher in the Decatur Public Schools. At 6:40 there will be a costume contest with prizes in the categories of royalty, hero, and most creative. 

During the concert there will be a parade of costumes, character actors for young audience members to interact with, a photo booth to take pictures in costume, Disney trivia, and facepainting. Also available throughout the concert will be food available for purchase from Mimi’s Frosty, Highway Heartburn, and 343 BBQ. The program is partially sponsored by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Decatur Area Arts Council. 

The present Decatur Municipal Band, directed by Jim Culbertson since 1979, is composed of high school and college students and area adults from all walks of life. The Decatur Municipal Band has been in continuous service since its inception on September 19, 1857, making it one of the oldest nonmilitary bands in continuous service in the United States and Canada.