Clear Lake | Minnesota Prairie Roots

Revisiting the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, & “the day the music died” January 30, 2025

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
Tags: "Buddy Holly: Oh Boy!", 1959 plane crash, ballrooms, Buddy Holly, Clear Lake, dance, history, Iowa, J.P. Richardson, museum, music, plane crash, Ritchie Valens, rock-n-roll, Surf Ballroom, Three Stars Plaza, tourism, tragedy, travel, Winter Dance Party

*The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, seats 2,100. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

A TIME EXISTED when ballrooms centered weekend entertainment and socializing across southern Minnesota: The Monterey Ballroom in Owatonna, no longer a dance hall, but an event center. The Kato Ballroom in Mankato, today primarily a place for banquets, wedding receptions and meetings. The Gibbon Ballroom in Gibbon, once the site of Polka Days, now closed. George’s Ballroom in New Ulm, demolished. The Blue Moon Ballroom in Marshall, destroyed in a 1981 fire. Ballrooms, as they once were in their heyday, are mostly non-existent or altered in usage.

*Inside the Surf Ballroom, portraits of Ritchie Valens, left to right, Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

But just across the border along Interstate 35 in northern Iowa, an historic ballroom remains open and going strong. That’s the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, an 84-mile or one hour and 15-minute drive from my community of Faribault. I’ve been there. Not to dance. But to tour the venue that marked the final performance site for Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson on February 2, 1959.

*This display inside the Surf references “American Pie.” Displays like this line spaces in the museum part of the Surf. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

The next morning, a chartered plane carrying the trio crashed in a field shortly after take off from the Mason City Municipal Airport, killing the musicians and pilot, Roger Peterson. February 3, 1959, was, according to singer and songwriter Don McClean, “the day the music died.” The tragedy is forever immortalized in McClean’s 1971 “American Pie,” a lengthy song I know well given I was a teen of the 70s.

*The ballroom stage, where a crew was setting up for a LeeAnn Womack concert during my visit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

Ten years have passed since I visited the Surf Ballroom. But nearly every January, I mentally revisit that experience of walking onto the wooden floor of the iconic ballroom and immersing myself in yesteryear. It’s not that I’m a big Buddy Holly fan or even into music all that much. But I can appreciate the significance of this place in rock ‘n roll history.

*In the back of the ballroom are layers of booths, all original. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

The three musicians, plus Dion and the Belmonts, Frankie Sardo, Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup and Carl Bunch, were on a 24-day Winter Dance Party tour through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa when they so tragically died. They had been crisscrossing the Midwest in a tour bus, playing in big cities like Milwaukee, Green Bay, St. Paul and Duluth, but also in smaller towns like Montevideo and Mankato in southern Minnesota. That Mankato performance was January 25 at the Kato Ballroom. Following the February 2 gig in Clear Lake, Holly decided to charter a small plane rather than endure the 364-mile bus ride to Moorhead for the next stop on the tour. That decision proved fatal.

*The marquee advertises upcoming events on the day I visited in May 2015. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

The Winter Dance Party continues to this day at the Surf Ballroom as a way to honor the rock ‘n roll legends. This year’s celebration is January 30 – February 1. Closer to home, the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault is hosting “Buddy Holly: Oh Boy!” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 31. The next day, Saturday, February 1, the show will be at the State Street Theater in New Ulm at 7 p.m. This is a re-staging of Holly’s Winter Dance Party.

*This sign inside the front entry summarizes the importance of the Surf. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

Whether you’re a fan of Buddy Holly or not, I think it’s important to recognize the significance he held in American rock ‘n roll culture. Music, in many ways, is like an historical account of life. It carries messages, entertains, connects us to memories and events, and touches us emotionally. And when the music died on February 3, 1959, the nation cried.

*This stacked album sculpture in Three Stars Plaza honors Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

FYI: The Surf Ballroom/Museum is open year-round Monday – Friday with additional times during the summer. Always check ahead before visiting as the ballroom can be closed if there’s a rental or concert. Additional related sites are Three Stars Plaza near the Surf and the crash site, about five miles distant.

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Focus on musicians, the Surf & Clear Lake, Iowa February 7, 2023

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
Tags: Buddy Holly, Clear Lake, history, Iowa, J.P. Richardson, Lake Time Brewery, museum, music, plane crash, Ritchie Valens, rock and roll, small towns, Surf Ballroom, travel, Winter Dance Party

*Portraits of the deceased musicians grace the Surf Ballroom. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

I’M SEVERAL DAYS LATE to the party. Yet, it’s worth noting, even after the fact, the importance of February 2 and 3 in music history. On February 2, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. “The Big Bop” Richardson and other musicians performed at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. The next day, the three died, along with the pilot, when their chartered plane crashed in a field near this northern Iowa community. It was, as Don McClean later wrote and sang, “the day the music died.”

*A broad view of the massive ballroom which seats 2,100. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

Each February, Clear Lake commemorates the musicians and celebrates their music at a Winter Dance Party. I’m about 10 years too young to have known these early rock and rollers. But I still appreciate their status in rock and roll, a music genre I definitely embraced as a teen. McClean’s iconic lengthy “American Pie,” which holds meaning well beyond the tragedy in Clear Lake, remains forever imprinted in my memory, like so many other songs of my adolescent years.

*In the back are layers of booths, all original. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

In mid-May 2015, Randy and I traveled to Clear Lake, just an hour and 15 minutes from Faribault across the Iowa border along Interstate 35. We toured the Surf, but because of rain, did not walk to the crash site. The sprawling ballroom is worth visiting for the history it holds and simply for its ballroom of yesteryear appeal. Retaining its original ocean beach club theme (yes, in rural Iowa nowhere near an ocean), built-in wooden booths and a hardwood floor, this music venue feels like a step back in time. Simply put, I felt like I could have brought a whiskey bottle in a brown paper bag, ordered a set-up and settled in for an evening of dancing and fun.

*This display references “American Pie.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

Even if you’re like me, not too knowledgeable about music, the Surf will draw you into the music of the era with posters and historical information. But mostly, it’s about being there, about feeling the music that was made, and continues to be made, here.

*Lake Time Brewery, a great place to converse with the locals. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

Clear Lake is one of those small towns that appeals to me. Art and history and eats and drink and natural beauty and homegrown shops and much more make this a must-visit Iowa community. Randy and I are already thinking about a return trip there this summer. On our list of places to revisit is Lake Time Brewery. There we met Connie, Nancy, Chris and “They Call Me Norm.” What a welcoming bunch, exactly the type of connection we hope to make when visiting a place. We still reminisce about enjoying craft beer with locals on the Lake Time patio on a lovely May evening.

*A public dock in Clear Lake.* *(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

These are my thoughts as I reflect on the tragic deaths on February 3, 1959, outside Clear Lake, Iowa, so far from the ocean yet so near.

TELL ME: Have you been to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake?

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“The day the music died” February 3, 2022

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:27 PM
Tags: "The day the music died", Buddy Holly, Clear Lake, Don McLean, February 3, Iowa, J.P. Richardson, music, musicians, National Register of Historic Places, plane crash, Ritchie Valens, rock-n-roll, Surf Ballroom, travel, Winter Dance Party

*Portraits of the deceased musicians inside the Surf Ballroom. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

SIXTY-THREE YEARS AGO TODAY, the music died. On February 3, 1959, three musicians—Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson—and a pilot died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. It was, and remains, a monumental moment in American music history.

*A broad view of this massive ballroom which seats 2,100. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

Today the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake still hosts a Winter Dance Party honoring the musicians who performed their final concert there on February 2, 1959. Early the next morning en route to Moorhead, Minnesota, the charter flight carrying the rock-n-roll musicians crashed in a field near Clear Lake in northern Iowa.

In 2015, Randy and I traveled an hour and 15 minutes south of Faribault along Interstate 35 to Clear Lake, where we toured the Surf. We were mere preschoolers when Holly and the others died. But the story of this tragedy imprinted upon us as teens, when Don McLean released his hit, “American Pie,” in 1971. How well I remember that tribute, the lyrics, the length of the nearly 8.5-minute song.

*The ballroom stage. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

While in Clear Lake on that May day seven years ago, we didn’t visit the crash site. Rain kept us away. But we certainly enjoyed our tour of the historic ballroom, site to many concerts from greats such as Duke Ellington, Lawrence Welk, the Beach Boys, the Doobie Brothers… The posters and photos, the aged booths, the stage and dance floor, all pay homage to the past, when ballrooms centered entertainment. The Surf, on the National Register of Historic Places and a designated National Historic Landmark, represents another time, another era, not simply a concert venue.

*This sign summarizes the importance of the Surf. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2015)*

Today I celebrate music and those who create it, past and present. Music enriches our lives beyond entertainment. Music, in many ways, writes like poetry into our hearts, souls and memories. And this February day, I honor the memories of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, as I consider “the day the music died.”

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TELL ME: Have you toured the Surf Ballroom or the crash site? Or do you have music memories of Holly, Valens and Richardson that you’d like to share?

FYI: To see more photos and stories from my visit to Clear Lake, Iowa, please click here.

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The day the music died February 1, 2019

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 11:13 AM
Tags: 1959, American Pie, Buddy Holly, Clear Lake, Don McLean, February 3, Iowa, J.P. Richardson, music, musicians, plane crash, Ritchie Valens, rock and roll, Surf Ballroom, Winter Dance Party

A broad view of this massive ballroom which seats 2,100. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo June 2015.

SIXTY YEARS AGO ON FEBRUARY 3, a charter plane crashed into a northern Iowa field killing all aboard. It was, they say, the day the music died.

Portraits of the deceased musicians. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo June 2015.

Dead were rising musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson.

All around Clear Lake, you’ll see posters from the annual Winter Dance Party at the Surf Ballroom. I found this one at the AmericInn Hotel. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo June 2015.

This weekend the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, continues its Winter Dance Party honoring those singers who performed there before that fatal flight en route to Moorhead, Minnesota.

The ballroom stage. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo June 2015.

Several years ago I visited Clear Lake, a delightful lakeside community just across the border from Minnesota. That trip included a stop at the Surf Ballroom. My knowledge of the famed musicians and of music in general is rather limited. But I do remember Don McLean’s lengthy American Pie hit from 1971 with that repetitious the day the music died. That line references the deaths of Holly, Valens and Richardson. I never understood that as a teen. I simply liked the melody, puzzled by the words.

Another tribute to the Surf’s most memorable performer, rock and roll legend Buddy Holly. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo June 2015.

I am of that era when rock and roll represented rebellion with young people challenging societal norms and authority, voicing their opinions via music. It was a time of turmoil in many ways. A time of change.

This display references American Pie. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo June 2015.

The February day the trio of musicians died in 1959 in Iowa really wasn’t the day the music died. Rather, rock and roll continued to rise, flying, soaring, reaching new heights of popularity.

THOUGHTS?

TO READ MY ORIGINAL POST on the Surf Ballroom, complete with more photos, click here.

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Why a community should care about its alleys January 25, 2018

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
Tags: alleys, Clear Lake, downtowns, Faribault, impressions, Iowa, Milaca, Minnesota, Northfield, photography, thoughts, tourism

This alley of art in Clear Lake, Iowa, impresses me. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo 2015.

I NOTICE DETAILS, always have. This heightened awareness weaves into my work. I write and photograph with a strong sense of place, a quality instilled in me long ago by growing up on the prairie. In that vast space of sky and land, every nuance of the environment imprints upon the soul.

My reactions to a place evolve from first impressions, most often viewed through my camera lens. I see the world in details of color, balance and perspective, of light and mood and texture and more.

An alley in Milaca, photographed in September 2017.

With that background, you can perhaps better understand why, when photographing a community, I notice more than the slick fronts of buildings, the parks and other attractions tourism offices promote. I look beyond those to the alleys, the roof lines and even the sidewalks. The details.

The scene along a balcony on the back side of a building along Third Street N.E. in downtown Faribault, just across the alley from the post office is one of my favorite alley photos for the story it tells. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo July 2015.

It is the alleys in particular that draw my visual interest and show me the side of a community often overlooked. And too often neglected. There’s much to learn in those alleyways about people and places and cultures and even socioeconomic status.

I love the sweet surprise of these floral paintings brightening an alley in downtown Clear Lake. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo May 2015.

Hanging baskets line the alley behind Larson’s Mercantile in Clear Lake, adding a splash of color to the downtown. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo May 2015.

The Contented Cow opens onto a riverside space between buildings in historic downtown Northfield. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo October 2014.

Looking further down that narrow space, I photographed a wedding party gathering near the Cannon River. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

A mural on The Key (youth center) building in downtown Northfield. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo April 2017.

Through the years, I’ve documented many behind and between businesses scenes with my camera. I’ve seen how a community can convert an alley into a lovely and inviting space. Clear Lake, Iowa, and Northfield, Minnesota, especially, have succeeded with this attention to detail beyond storefronts.

Michelle’s Garden, right next to the alley behind buildings along Faribault’s Second Street and Central Avenue. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo September 2015.

The back of The Crafty Maven (now closed) sat right across the alley from the garden. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo September 2015.

This mural of an iconic scene from downtown Faribault was installed along an alleyway visible from busy Minnesota State Highway 60/Fourth Street in the heart of downtown. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

My community of Faribault, too, boasts an alley-side mini park and an alleyway mural creating a more inviting downtown. But dumpsters overflowing with garbage in other sections of the downtown counterbalance the positive efforts.

The behind buildings parking lot scene in downtown Faribault highlights the area’s ag base. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo August 2014.

In my opinion, every community should pay closer attention to the details. They are part of the whole, of the impression visitors gather of a place beyond the side we’re supposed to see.

THOUGHTS? I’m interested, especially, in hearing how your community or other communities have beautified alleys and/or backs of businesses.

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“The Jerky Stop” in Clear Lake July 10, 2016

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
Tags: business, Clear Lake, food, jerky, McDonald's Meats, meat market, Minnesota, The Jerky Stop, travel

IF NOT FOR THE THREATENING SKYLINE, our exhaustion and a two-hour drive home, I expect my husband would have turned into the parking lot of McDonald’s Meats in Clear Lake on a recent Saturday afternoon. He likes meat, especially quality meat from a respected meat market.

That’s McDonald’s Meats, a fourth-generation family business around since 1914. I didn’t grow up in central Minnesota (like Randy), but even I’ve heard of this meat market.

McDonald’s plays on those strengths, promoting longevity, family and quality products on eye-catching signage. What meat lover, especially someone who loves jerky, wouldn’t want to stop for a free sample at this self-proclaimed Jerky Stop?

We even had room in the cooler…

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Part VII: The character of Clear Lake, Iowa June 10, 2015

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
Tags: Clear Lake, Iowa, main street, small towns, travel

CLEAR LAKE IS AN IOWA town with character.

Downtown Clear Lake offers an abundance of locally rooted eateries.

It’s memorable in the sort of way that’s good. Main Street good. Welcome to our town good. Meander through the shops, dine in home-grown eateries good.

Relaxing outside a Clear Lake floral and gift shop, The Red Geranium.

People watch. Kick back on a bench. Dip your toes in the lake or dig them into sand.

Even the backs of buildings possess visual charm.

Fish or shop. While away a day or two. Take in the local history of the Surf Ballroom. Or simply amble downtown, right into a Norman Rockwell type scene.

Larson’s Mercantile, like an old-fashioned five-and-dime, has a back corner devoted to fabric.

Walk the aisles of the mercantile.

Hanging baskets line the alley behind Larson’s Mercantile.

Take the back route through the alley.

Order a treat from South Shore Sweet Spot, shaped like an ice cream cone.

Eat ice cream. Drink beer. Grab a burger.

From a window side counter (common in Clear Lake eateries) in a downtown restaurant, I photographed these guys crossing Main Avenue.

Come in your cowboy hat or no hat.

Something I've never seen until visiting Clear Lake: a drive-through liquor store.

Something I’ve never seen until visiting Clear Lake: a drive-through convenience/ liquor store.

Clear Lake beckons with Americana charm rooted in character and small town Iowa friendliness.

FYI: This concludes my seven-part series on Clear Lake. Check back for more posts from my recent overnight visit to Iowa.

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Part VI: The Little Chapel off the Interstate in Clear Lake June 9, 2015

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
Tags: chapel, churches, Clear Lake, faith, Guardian Angel Roadside Chapel, Interstate 35, Iowa, Scott Kennedy, travel

My husband, Randy, leaves the Guardian Angel Roadside Chapel as Scott Kennedy and his nephew finish cleaning.

WHEN WE FINALLY FOUND the Guardian Angel Roadside Chapel tucked into the woods along South 24th Street in Clear Lake, Iowa, after we’d asked for directions and still drove by the unmarked landmark, we met Scott Kennedy.

Scott Kennedy outside the chapel built in honor of his aunt.

He was there with his nephew, an Iowa State University student from the western U.S., cleaning the chapel and grounds for a funeral the next day.

I forgot to count the pews. But I believe there are eight or ten, each seating only a few people.

It’s difficult to envision a funeral inside this miniscule place of only a few short pews. But one was planned and the mess from an invading squirrel needed to be swept and gathered into garbage bags. Although I did not see it, my husband spotted the succumbed squirrel.

The day was overcast, the chapel dark, making photographing it a challenge.

The chapel is beautiful in its craftsmanship. This place is truly a labor of divine love.

I was more focused on the chapel interior with its beautiful center stained glass cross crafted by a local artist and side stained glass windows salvaged from Zion Lutheran Church. The cross was designed to attract the attention of travelers along nearby Interstate 35.

This truly is a functional church with altar, organ and baptismal font.

Exiting the chapel grounds.

I was especially delighted to find my favorite bible verse—the scripture that has guided me through some rough patches in life—inscribed on a dedication plaque inside the entry: We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him.—Romans 8:28. Serendipitous? Perhaps. But more likely divine.

It is the divine intervention of God which led Scott and others to construct the Guardian Angel Roadside Chapel in 1991 in honor of Scott’s aunt, Marguerite Williams. She was convinced that God protected her from kidnapping by a band of gypsies while growing up in Clear Lake. And later, while working at a Chicago medical clinic, Marguerite again experienced God’s protection when she encountered a gang of hoodlums.

It was hoodlums, or more accurately criminals, who set fire to the first Guardian Angel Chapel a year after it was built, Scott shared. The blaze was to distract responders from a break-in across town. Undeterred, Scott and others determined to rebuild this chapel which was rededicated on April 4, 1993.

An informational paper I found inside the chapel states its purpose:

This chapel was built as a witness to Christ. It is the hope and prayers of the builders that people worshipping here will be closer to Christ and will have their own guardian angel look after them.

This is looking toward the highway off which the chapel sits atop a hill in a wooded area.

FYI: The chapel is open daily from dawn until dusk, although I am uncertain whether it’s open during the winter months.

Check back tomorrow for my final installment in this seven-part series on Clear Lake, Iowa.

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Part V: The artsy side of Clear Lake, Iowa June 8, 2015

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
Tags: art, Clear Lake, Clear Lake Arts Center, Iowa, signs, Three Stars Plaza, travel

ART IS, PERHAPS, in the eye of the beholder.

I loved the sweet surprise of these floral paintings brightening an alley in downtown Clear Lake.

In Clear Lake, Iowa, I beheld an abundance of art. Everywhere. In the local arts center. Inside and outside shops. On historic buildings. In words, colors, designs, shapes. Sometimes obvious, sometimes not so much.

Historic buildings, like this one housing Thrifty White Drug, oftentimes are detailed in art. You have to look up to see this intriguing sculpture.

Look up. Look down. Look around. Simply look and you will see it.

Creative window displays draw shoppers into businesses like Lake Lifestyle.

I appreciate a community with details that visually please me. And Clear Lake does. In so many artsy ways.

South Shore Sweet Spot was not yet open for the season when I visited Clear Lake. But I could admire the artsy architecture. No mistaking this for anything but a place to buy ice cream treats.

On a downtown shop window, inspiring words. Poetry really.

This stacked album sculpture in Three Stars Plaza next to the Surf Ballroom honors Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. All three musicians died in a 1959 plane crash near Clear Lake after performing at the Surf.

All around town you’ll see posters from the annual Winter Dance Party at the Surf Ballroom. I found this one at the AmericInn Hotel.

Even collectible glassware is art, including this Carnival glass pitcher at Collectors Wonderland.

Shelves and shelves of Clear Lake apparel fill shelves at Larson's Mercantile.

Shelves and shelves of artsy Clear Lake apparel fill shelves at Larson’s Mercantile.

The Clear Lake Arts Center centers the arts in this community. It’s impressive.

Iowa artists Pam Dennis and Ryk Weiss collaborated with local students and adults to create this tree sculpture from cattle panels, metal banding and clay. It is located at the Clear Lake Arts Center.

The tree sculpture (above) calls for an up close study of details.

Inside the Clear Lake Arts Center, I delighted in these cornstalk panels suspended from the ceiling.

Inside the Clear Lake Arts Center, I delighted in cornstalk panels suspended from the ceiling.

The arts center galleries showcase an abundance and variety of outstanding art.

There’s art in signage and architecture.

An artsy scene (in my opinion) at the Village General Store, a second-hand store along the highway on the north side of town.

Signage always grabs my attention, including these graphically pleasing signs in a downtown window.

Window displays, like this one at Collectors Wonderland, are art in themselves.

FYI: Check my posts from last week to read my first four photo stories from Clear Lake, located along Interstate 35 in northern Iowa. Two more installments remain in this series.

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Part IV: Touring the legendary Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa June 4, 2015

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 5:00 AM
Tags: Buddy Holly, Clear Lake, history, Iowa, J.P. Richardson, music, musicians, National Register of Historic Places, Ritchie Valens, rock and roll, Surf Ballroom, travel

My husband exits the historic Surf Ballroom.

WHEN I MENTIONED to a friend that my husband and I were going on an overnight get-away to Clear Lake, Iowa, he immediately asked if we were touring the Surf Ballroom. We were.

A broad view of this massive ballroom which seats 2,100.

The Surf is the focus for many visitors to this north central Iowa community. It wasn’t our main reason for traveling here. But we knew we couldn’t visit Clear Lake without seeing the famous Surf, site of Buddy Holly’s final Winter Dance Party performance before he, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson died in a February 3, 1959, plane crash along with the pilot.

This display references “American Pie.”

It was, writes Don McLean in his song, American Pie, “the day the music died.”

Another tribute to the Surf's most memorable performed, rock n roll legend Buddy Holly.

Another tribute to the Surf’s most memorable performer, rock n roll legend Buddy Holly.

Now I’m not much of a music history person, nor a person with musical talent. I can’t read a note. I don’t have a particularly good singing voice. I typically cannot tell you who sings what and even had to ask my husband, before our arrival at the Surf, what songs Buddy Holly sang. He cited Peggy Sue and That’ll Be the Day.

The exterior ticket booth.

Looking toward the interior lobby doors.

Looking toward the outside, this interior set of lobby doors are hefty and heavy. To the right is the original coat check area, not shown in this image.

This sign summarizes the importance of the Surf.

Yet, even for someone like me who is rather musically illiterate, the Surf proved an interesting place. Built in 1948, the current ballroom (the first burned down) is on the National Register of Historic Places. And rightly so. From the exterior ticket booth to the heavy doors that lead into the dark lobby, where you can check your coat, the Surf holds that feel of yesteryear. It’s difficult to explain. But you feel that sense of entering a different world from a bygone era the minute you step inside. As if you’ve left Iowa. And today.

Just a sampling of those who have played the Surf.

More historic memorabilia of Surf concerts.

The lounge area features a stage, bar and lots more memorabilia.

You’ll spot numerous signed guitars on display.

Here you’ll discover a hallway museum of musicians’ photos, posters and history. And inside the lounge you’ll see stars’ guitars and more photos and other tributes to those who have performed here. If a musician’s picture is displayed, then he/she’s played/been here.

The ballroom stage.

On the Friday afternoon we arrived at the Surf, we almost didn’t make it into the actual ballroom. Black curtains were pulled across two entrances and marked by “closed” signs. I peeked through the curtains to see musicians for Lee Ann Womack setting up inside. I failed to notice on the Surf website that the dance floor occasionally closes if a concert is scheduled. So be forewarned: Check the Surf calendar. Even better, call ahead.

But then, as luck would have it, Mark, who’s been working Surf security since 1978 and clearly loves this place and his job, parted the curtains and invited us inside with the admonition to keep our distance from the stage. He’d overheard our disappointment and said, “Since you drove a long ways…” We’d traveled only 85 miles. But another couple had driven nearly four hours from Omaha.

In the back are layers of booths, all original, and beach-themed murals.

Portraits of Ritchie Valens, left, Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson hang inside the ballroom.

Signatures…

He led us onto the original maple floor dance floor, pointed us to the original booths (where I slid into one; it’s a tight squeeze), noted the beach themed décor (it is, afterall, the Surf), took us into a small room where musicians and others have signed the walls…

Each February, the Surf still hosts a Winter Dance Party.

I wished I could have lingered longer in the ballroom, asked Mark to switch on more lights for better photos. But I didn’t press my luck. If not for his graciousness, I would have remained on the other side of those black curtains.

BONUS PHOTOS:

The day before our visit, the king of blues died. B.B. King’s promotional poster hangs in the lounge.

Lee Ann Womack’s band was setting up on the afternoon of our visit. This was snapped just outside the front entry doors.

About a block away, this outdoor sculpture at Three Stars Plaza honors Holly, Valens and Richardson.

About a block away, this outdoor turntable/album sculpture at Three Stars Plaza honors Holly, Valens and Richardson. You can also visit the plane crash site about five miles from town. Because of rainy weather, we did not go there.

FYI: Please check back next week for the three remaining installments in this series of seven posts from Clear Lake, Iowa.

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Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Revisiting the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, & “the day the music died” January 30, 2025

Focus on musicians, the Surf & Clear Lake, Iowa February 7, 2023

“The day the music died” February 3, 2022

The day the music died February 1, 2019

Why a community should care about its alleys January 25, 2018

“The Jerky Stop” in Clear Lake July 10, 2016

Part VII: The character of Clear Lake, Iowa June 10, 2015

Part VI: The Little Chapel off the Interstate in Clear Lake June 9, 2015

Part V: The artsy side of Clear Lake, Iowa June 8, 2015

Part IV: Touring the legendary Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa June 4, 2015

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An essay of barn photos & memories; In praise of preserving country churches; & Testing the track during a Soap Box Derby trial run in Faribault

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