Vivian Kalmik To Be 2023 Williston Band Day Parade Marshal

Vivian Kalmik will serve as the 2023 Band Day Parade Marshal on May 13, according to the Williston Convention & Visitors Bureau and Band Day Committee.

Vivian has been a member of the Thursday Musical Club, one of the founding groups behind Band Day, for 54 years. She recalls going to Band Day as a teenager. Her parents sacrificed when she was young so she could learn to play the accordion, and she later sang in school programs, church choruses, and theater shows. She was involved in Band Day float building for several groups as an adult, and she also drove float entries.

Her daughters Samantha and Allayna were very musical, and Vivian spent 11 years watching them march in the Band Day parade and riding on floats," Vivian remarked. "On Band Day, parents have crazy schedules... watching their kids march, then picking them up and running them back to the lineup area so they can ride on their clubs' floats." Her memories are renewed as she watches her grandchildren march in the parade."

Vivian has been a Band Day supporter in other ways every year. She has been a consistent volunteer at the Clean City events, which are held every year prior to Band Day to clear up debris before Band Day. She has bought raffle tickets, bid on silent auction items, and attended pre-Band Day fundraiser concert events. “It is a lot of work to put on an event,” she noted. “It takes people, money, time, dedicated band directors, and families. It is important for her to show support and she still enjoys every minute of it!”

Band Day is a multi-generation event, with many families traveling back to Williston for Mother’s Day and for a community festival their grandparents and parents participated in, as well. Band Day predates World War II and has evolved over the years as Williston has grown and changed. The earliest reference found of Band Day in Williston was a 1927 newsprint article, which gives Band Day a 96-year history. Hundreds of student musicians from Williston and surrounding communities participate in the parade. To Vivian, Band Day has signified hospitality over the decades and still today. “Towns come together in one place to enjoy music. There is laughter and food, memories made, new friendships!” Congratulations Vivian, and thanks for all you do to continue to make Williston special!

If you have questions about Band Day 2023, contact the Williston CVB at 701-774-9041 or find the complete schedule of events here. Information can also be found on the Band Day Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ WillistonBandDay).

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