After more than a year’s worth of projecting and planning the groundbreaking for the Surf Ballroom’s new Music Enrichment & Immersive Center was held with much fanfare on Wednesday, April 17, the same date that the original Surf opened in 1933.
The new two-story center, to be located on the Surf’s west side, will feature a visitors center and gift shop, expanded studio space for lessons and performing artists, a conference space, and an 1,800 square-foot immersive exploratory space dedicated to showcasing the ballroom’s significant contributions to music history and honoring Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, the three legendary singers who made their fateful, final stop at the Winter Dance Party in 1959.
“So we’re all about our history. We’re all about our past. But we’re moving into the future. We got this grand, wonderful ballroom, but we also have a new generation of fans that really need to be communicated to and educated and inspired in maybe a little bit different way. And that’s why we’re building the [Music Enrichment Center] and we’re gonna have an immersive museum,” said Jeff Nicholas, President of the North Iowa Cultural Center & Museum, the organization that oversees the operations of the Surf. “It will inspire our youth not only to learn about the culture of our community, the culture of the Surf Ballroom, about the music, and about all the friendships and all the relationships.”
City Administrator Scott Flory says the improvements with the center, as well as other improvements to the Surf district, will ensure that the ballroom’s legacy will remain relevant for future generations. “We all know the Surf Ballroom has a very unique story to tell, and the new Music Enrichment & Immersive Center, the streetscape improvements that we are making here, are all things that are critical and pivotal for us to help continue to tell the story of the Surf Ballroom, a National Historic Landmark. There are only 27 of these in the state of Iowa, and we’re blessed to have one here.”
Special guest Connie Valens, sister of Ritchie Valens, said that she has had many wonderful experiences at the Surf Ballroom over the last 12 years that she has lived in Iowa. “But with this groundbreaking comes an opportunity to continue to teach and enrich future generations of all that our beloved Surf represents,” she said. “The Enrichment Center, through the dedication of the teachers and students, will be at the heart of continuing the legacies of the three young men that changed rock and roll history and will continue to inspire new generations of musicians and more once those doors open.”
Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, was also a special guest in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony. “You know, it brings me great joy celebrating projects that bring new life to historic treasures. Especially when it’s part of a much bigger vision for the future,” she said, adding that the Surf’s mission is evolving from one that celebrates the legacies of the musicians who have played there, but also celebrates public art, the lake, and a hands-on learning experience that will inspire generations to come. “It is a game changer for Clear Lake, and an incredibly successful story for Iowa.”
Ending with a quote from another legendary Surf Ballroom artist, Duke Ellington, Durham said, “‘I believe in the power of imagination to transform ordinary experiences into extraordinary ones,’ so I look forward to celebrating many extraordinary experiences right here.”
