When I first moved to Bridgton in 1968, I believe I recall seeing the Band playing outside near Reny’s. Of course, when it rained, the concert would have to be cancelled. That all changed when the band concerts moved to the Gazebo in 1976; the Band played rain or shine! Thus, the inauguration of the drive-up concerts; when it would rain, people would stay in their cars, roll down the windows, and honk their horns in applause! In fact, some were so comfortable with this that they would remain in their cars even when the weather was fair.

Our audiences consist of town folks and summer visitors and interestingly, so do the Band members; local band members are from Southwestern Maine and Southeastern N.H., but we have musicians from Florida, N.Y., California, and Massachusetts to name a few states.   In the past, some of the campers from the music Camp Encore/Coda have also sat in on concerts. All the musicians are very dedicated and perform principally because of their love of music and the comradeship with other players.

The Town of Bridgton does “sponsor” the Band, providing funds for costs such as uniforms, music, lighting, and maintenance of the Gazebo Bandstand. They have always been very cooperative in that regard. The Gazebo, by the way, is in need of replacing and enlarging . It is 35 years old and there have been as many as 42 musicians on that relatively small platform! We are actively pursuing suggestions for where a new Gazebo might be located.

“We are a true community band”, says former band conductor Dick Albert, who now plays either clarinet or drums, depending on where he might be needed on a particular evening. The Band welcomes all players to rehearsals; we have younger players who are still learning their instruments, and we have adults of all ages join us who might not have played for years!

The Bridgton Community Band thanks all of you loyal fans (and newcomers too) for attending our concerts and sharing the love and enjoyment of music that we play!