The Music Man IN River City

For 87 years, our community has gathered to celebrate something that makes River City, the original River City, so special: our musical heritage. Meredith Willson was born and raised right here in Mason City, and every year our town comes alive honoring the music, tradition, and sense of community he helped put on the map through The Music Man.

Band Festival has always held a special place in my heart. My mom organized Band Festival years ago when she worked for the Chamber of Commerce, and now all these years later, I get to volunteer and help carry on the tradition myself. The last two years, I’ve helped line up the bands before the parade, and every single year I still tear up the moment I hear “76 Trombones.” There’s just something about it. It feels like pride, nostalgia, community, and a hometown I love all wrapped into one song.

So when the opportunity came to sponsor showings of The Music Man at our newly renovated theater this weekend, it was an immediate yes for us at Lee Realty.

What makes it even more special is the story behind the theater itself. A dedicated group of local citizens stepped up and renovated one of the five movie theaters that had been sitting vacant in our mall for decades. They restored not only the theater, but also the main lobby, concession stand, hallway, and the bathrooms, . They have plans and dreams for the rest of the space too, but every meaningful revival has to start somewhere.

What a gift they have given this town.

This weekend there was one showing on Saturday, two on Sunday, and two on Monday for Memorial Day, all completely free to the public. We couldn’t have been more honored to help make that happen. Our tagline at Lee Realty is “Locally Grown; Locally Owned,” and honestly, you can’t get much more locally grown than The Music Man itself.

Our office sits directly across from the theater, and Meredith Willson’s home (where he was actually born) is just one block south of us. This community, its history, and its people are woven into who we are as a family and as a business.

We weren’t just excited to sponsor these showings – we felt genuinely honored to do something meaningful for the people who live here and for those visiting our town this weekend. We truly hope this becomes an annual tradition for good ol’ River City and Lee Realty.