It was a perfect storm Saturday night for an FFA Honors band and a crowd seeking shelter during a downpour at the Wisconsin State Fair.
Inside the Youth Exhibit Hall sandwiched between the Midway and the cattle barns on the north side of the fairgrounds, the FFA Honors band, consisting of 75 musicians from across the state ages 13-21, was performing their fourth concert of the day.
Both the FFA Honors Band and Chorus perform at the Wisconsin State Fair during its final four days. Each day, the groups perform once at the Bank five nine amphitheater and three to four times inside the Youth Exhibit Hall, drawing a crowd of 50-100 people, said Monte Dunnum, who has been directing the band for 28 years.
It had been a hot day at the fair for fairgoers, exhibitors and performers with temperatures soaring into the low-to-mid 90s. The weather forecast for Aug. 9 also included a risk of severe weather as a line of storms along a cold front pushed its way through southern Wisconsin. These storms had the potential for heavy downpours.
Inside the unairconditioned venue, the Honors Band reached the midpoint of the last concert of the day when the heavens opened up with torrential rains drenching the fairgrounds.Dunnum estimates that 400-500 people poured into the building seeking shelter from the storm.
“The timing was excellent for us as, this being the last concert of the day, the program was going to be one that the students and audience could really just let loose and enjoy,” Dunnum said. “We were just beginning the more “pep band” portion of the program when the storm hit.”
After Dunnam had welcomed the soaked audience and introduced the band, he announced that the next tune was ‘Crazy Train’ dedicated to rocker Ozzy Osbourne who passed on July 22, 2025.
“Just as I spoke his name, a huge clap of thunder occurred and the crowd went crazy,” Dunnum said. “After that, it was a very interactive crowd that yelled and screamed after every selection. They fully took part in the dance medley, getting into the spirit of the music, dancing and singing along.”
As the concert neared its conclusion, the young musicians didn’t want the surreal experience to end, and asked Dunnum if they could keep playing.
“We added a few songs to the list and continued,” Dunnum said. “FFA band members had a great time and I think the audience had at least a really nice diversion during a weather delay. It was a more entertaining performance than we had even expected.”
As the rain continued to fall, and the fairgrounds began to flood, fair officials announced the closing of the park, leaving fairgoers to wade through knee-high water and stranding vehicles on the flooded Milwaukee Mile parking area. According to the National Weather Service, West Allis received nearly 9 inches of rain.
Wisconsin State Fair Executive Director Shari Black told media she has never seen such a deluge in all her time working at the fairgrounds and announced the decision to close the fair a day early.
While the fair was cut short for Dunnum and his band members, their final performance on Saturday night will be long remembered.
“That night, the atmosphere was electric and the energy between the crowd and ensemble was truly special as each ‘fed off’ the other,” Dunnum said.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin State Farmer: Thunderstorm and FFA Honors band ‘electrifies’ overflow crowd at Wisconsin State Fair
Reporting by Colleen Kottke, Wisconsin State Farmer / Wisconsin State Farmer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
