John and Cindy Wacker, organizers of Bash on the Farm, presented a $5,000 donation check to Brad Barber for Bash at the Lake during a group organizational meeting on March 7.
Cindy said that at the beginning of 2023 their Bash on the Farm account still had $10,000 of locally raised money in it, even though they had not held the festival in north Iowa since 2016. Then Stacy Doughan, President and CEO of the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce, put them in contact with United to Serve with Passion and Purpose founder Brad Barber.
“He brought together a team of people who united to plan an event in Clear Lake. We used the name “Bash” to continue the legacy of Bash on the Farm. Last year we donated $5,000 from the Bash on the Farm account and combined that with more fundraising through United to Serve to bring together almost 7,000 people at the bandshell in Clear Lake,” Cindy said. “The synergy was exciting with almost twice the attendance we had through Bash on the Farm. It’s incredible to see the volunteer collaboration and the welcoming community of Clear Lake!”
This month the Wackers closed out the Bash on the Farm account and donated the remaining $5,000 to Bash at the Lake.
According to a brief history submitted by Cindy Wacker, Bash on the Farm started in 2002 as a free-attendance Christian music festival on a grounds of the Wacker’s farm located south of Garner. Prior to that John Wacker, president of Do Right Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit, started sponsoring Christian music dances in the north Iowa area in 1990.
“Throughout the 90’s it expanded to provide discounted sound for bands as well as services to area churches and organizations for their special events,” Cindy said.
The 2002 Bash on the Farm hosted five local bands with around 175 people in attendance. The event grew quickly to where they were hosting several stages with a variety of genres and games and concessions were offered as well. “Attendance on the farm grew to 3,500 over the 10 years there. As the festival and its volunteer team grew, we moved the festival to Heritage Park in Forest City where it was held for the next five years,” Cindy wrote.
After that Chad Eastman, a member of the Bash on the Farm team, moved to Cedar Rapids and organized the Bash at CR event which continued for several more years. He returned to Clear Lake last year to provide sound production for Bash at the Lake.
“The team is excited and has the momentum to keep growing. Plans are in motion for a Saturday community VBS in the park, adding Friday night and expanding the music on Saturday,” Cindy said.
This year’s Bash will be a two-day event, to be held Aug. 9-10. Watch for artist announcements coming soon at www.bashatthelake.com.
