The Chico Bavarian Band

2003 was the 30th anniversary of the The Chico Bavarian Band, a traditional bavarian brass band ("Blaskapelle"). The name comes from the school where the founding members met: California State University Chico. The band started as 5 college guys playing for free beer, and gradually turned into a serious 20+ member group. The members hail from all over Northern California (past members now live as far away as Florida Japan!), and get together for performances whenever the opportunity arises.

Today, headquarters for the CBB is the San Francisco Bay Area. The band plays at Oktoberfests, Faschings, and Trachtenfests in the Northern California area, primarily in the months of September and October. The band's credits include the Chico Oktoberfest, the Trachtenfest in Hayward, CA, the Alpine Oktoberfest at Alpine Meadows, CA, and the band's first European tour in 1987 -- which included a guest appearance at the Hof Brau Haus in Munich.

In 1997 the band made history: The Chico Bavarian Band was the first American band to be allowed to participate in the Sunday parade (September 21, 1997) in the Munich Oktoberfest! The band was sponsored by in Munich, and appeared in the Sunday parade, followed by a brief performance in the Spatenbrau-Festhalle (Ochsenbraterei) tent in the Oktoberfest grounds. From Munich, the band travelled on to concerts in Salzburg, Innsbruck and finally the Cannstattervolksfest Parade in Stuttgart.