Camps, Contests & Festivals

IOWA LAKES JAZZ & SHOW CHOIR FESTIVAL

January 26 - 28, 2027

The Iowa Lakes Show and Jazz Choir Festival is set for Tuesday, January 26th, Wednesday, January 27th, and Thursday, January 28th, 2027. The Festival will be held in our 500-seat Performing Arts Center! It is purely an educational festival, with great clinicians for show and jazz choirs to help them prepare for the Show and Jazz Choir Festival season. Dr. Kurt Runestad and Clay Blackman are once again clinicians! All high school, junior high, and middle school show choirs and jazz choirs are welcome!

Register Today!

Festival Details

Performances will take place in our new Performing Arts Center!

When your choir arrives, they should enter the main building on the west side through the Estherville campus main entrance (Entrance #1). Iowa Lakes’ students will greet you and take you to your homeroom. Because schools share the homerooms, students must take responsibility for their valuables. Please be patient (& quiet) as we are holding classes. 

After unloading, buses may park on 18th Street or in the parking lot east of campus. Please encourage students to check out our Student Center/Cafeteria, where they can eat lunch, get snacks, and relax.

Choirs will warm up in room 60, a 45’ x 40’ area with mirrors. When it is time for your performance, guides will take you to the performance area. You will have forty minutes to set up, perform, and receive the on-stage clinic. During your free time, you are invited to watch the other choirs perform and receive clinics – a very educational part of the day.

The performance area is a 30’ x 50’ stage. For Show Choirs, four levels of 4’ x 8’ platform risers will be on stage, as well as five corded microphones, two wireless microphones, 30 music stands, and a grand piano. Jazz Choirs can use 20 microphones, 30 music stands, and a grand piano. Jazz Choirs may bring their own sound technician.

Performances will be webcast (and can be viewed online anytime) and the judges will provide audio comments.

Please fill out the selection/soloist form online. This form needs to be submitted by January 18th. Also, please bring a set of your music for the clinician.

We will be utilizing Competition Suite, like you use for IHSMA festivals, to help you prepare to use that for state contests. 

You probably already have an account, but if not, you should receive an email to set up your account using the email address you provided when you registered. After your clinic, you can access your judge’s comments through the Competition Suite website or CompetitionSuite Commentary App. Here is a helpful page with instructions on accessing your comments.

I look forward to talking with you and watching your choirs perform at the festival. If you have any questions or if there is anything I can do for you, please call/text my cell number: (712) 330-1145.

Performance Times

SHOW & JAZZ CHOIRS:

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

School Warm-up (Room 60) Performance (Auditorium)
Graettinger-Terril MS  8:30 a.m. 9:10 a.m.
Ruthven-Ayrshire MS 'Legacy' 9:10 a.m. 9:50 a.m.
Pocahontas 'Showstoppers' 9:50 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
Sheldon 'Impact' 10:30 a.m. 11:10 a.m.
LUNCH    
Okoboji 'Boji Voices' 11:35 a.m. 12:15 p.m.
Sheldon 'Vocal Fusion' 12:15 p.m. 12:55 p.m.
Iowa Valley 'Valley Voices' 1:05 p.m. 1:45 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson 'Edition' 2:00 p.m. 2:40 p.m.

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

School Warm-up (room 60) Performance (Auditorium)
ELC 'Momentum' 7:20 a.m. 8:00 a.m.
Spirit Lake 'Music Factory' 8:00 a.m. 8:40 a.m.
Emmetsburg 'High Voltage' 8:40 a.m. 9:20 a.m.
Carroll 'Swingsations' 9:20 a.m. 10:00 a.m.
Emmetsburg MS 'Evolution' 10:00 a.m. 10:40 a.m.
LUNCH    
Le Mars 'Red, Black, and Blues' 11:05 a.m. 11:45 a.m.
Carroll Jazz Choir 11:45 a.m. 12:25 p.m.
Emmetsburg 'Five Island Jazz' 12:25 p.m. 1:05 p.m.
Spirit Lake 'Lake Effect' 1:05 p.m. 1:45 p.m.
ELC Jazz Choir 1:45 p.m. 2:25 p.m.
MVAOCOU 2:25 p.m. 3:05 p.m.

Thursday, January 30, 2026

School Warm-up (room 60) Performance (Auditorium)
Spencer 'Chromatic Jazz' 7:20 a.m. 8:00 a.m.
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Jazz 8:00 a.m. 8:40 a.m.
Sibley-Ocheyedan "Night Sounds" 8:40 a.m. 9:20 a.m.
Humboldt Vocal Jazz 9:20 a.m. 10:00 a.m.
Clear Lake 'Wavelength' 10:00 a.m. 10:40 a.m.
Rock Valley "Rocktavo" 10:40 a.m. 11:20 a.m.
LUNCH    
Spencer 'Pieces of Jazz' 11:35 a.m. 12:15 p.m.
Cherokee Washington Jazz Choir 12:15 p.m. 12:55 p.m.
Storm Lake 'Evergreen' 12:55 p.m. 1:35 p.m.
West Lyon Wildcat Vocal Jazz 1:35 p.m. 2:15 p.m.
Algona Bishop Garrigan 2:15 p.m. 2:55 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson 'Vocal Jazz' 2:55 p.m. 3:35 p.m.

Selection Form

Please provide your musical selections to Iowa Lakes Community College to be used during the festival.

Complete Selection Form 

Brett Fuelberth
Brett Fuelberth
Professor | Vocal Music & Choir
712-362-7963 | bfuelberth@iowalakes.edu
Estherville Campus
Lincoln Larsen Headshot
Lincoln Larsen
Director of Music & Performing Arts
712-362-7962 | llarsen@iowalakes.edu
Estherville Campus
Jessi Strom
Jessi Strom
Performing Arts Center Promotions and Operations
712-362-6977 | jstrom@iowalakes.edu
Estherville Campus
Tara Clabaugh
Campus Office Specialist/Music Assistant
712-362-7918 | tclabaugh@iowalakes.edu
Estherville Campus