Vikingland Band Festival Co-Founder Receives Award

Congratulations to Ken Martinson, a Minnesota native whose impact on the marching arts has reached the national stage, on being selected as the 2025 Butch Dufault YIMMY Hall of Fame recipient. This honor is decided by Hall of Fame peers and is considered a lifetime achievement award.

Ken’s involvement spans virtually every facet of the marching activity—performer, instructor, event manager, journalist, clinician and judge. His passion for marching began early. By age five, he was organizing mini-parades with neighborhood friends, and by 16, he had produced his first full-scale community parade.

To many Minnesotans, Ken is best known as co-founder of the Vikingland Band Festival in his hometown of Alexandria. The event is regarded as the state championship for summer parade bands and is held annually on the last Sunday of June. Over its 41-year history, it has attracted bands from seven states, three Canadian provinces and Norway. More than 80% of his Hall of Fame peers have participated in the festival as judges or directors, including many who earned prestigious Grand Champion or Class Champion titles...

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