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Scottville Clown Band, at the Ludington Area Jaycees Freedom Festival Parade, July 4, 2023. Photo by Brad Reed.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
SCOTTVILLE — The Scottville Clown Band is launching a capital fund campaign to purchase a new bus.
Each year the Scottville Clown Band is a popular attraction at festivals and special events across Michigan. As a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization, the band’s mission is to support youth music education. In 2025, the band provided more than $23,000 in scholarships and grants to middle and high school music students for them to attend fine arts camps and education.
Getting the band to and from its performances requires reliable transportation and helps the band fulfill its mission.
Partnering with the Community Foundation for Mason County, the Clown Band is launching a fundraiser to replace its current 2016 bus. The band purchased its first bus, a former school bus, in 1978. Since that time, it has had six buses.
“We rely on our bus to transport both members and equipment to shows,” said Herb Early, president of the Scottville Clown Band. “It also serves as a powerful reminder of the band when it pulls through a town on the way to a show or follows the band in a parade. Our current bus has served us well with thousands of miles of service. We are excited to replace it and keep the band traveling from town to town.”
The Scottville Clown Band’s roots go back to 1903 when a small group of musicians in the west Michigan town of Scottville, located in Mason County near Ludington formed a band that dressed in hobo costumes. The band, which includes both men and women, has grown in 123 years. Its members’s ages range from teens to centurions. It performs over 30 shows a year.
“Our band is made up of musicians from all walks of life,” said David Ladd, vice president of the organization. “But, I think every member can agree that our greatest reward is to bring smiles to people’s faces and to help support the next generation of musicians.”
The band’s fundraising goal is $400,000, which will purchase a high quality used long-haul bus.
Contributions may be made in the form of checks, cash, credit card, or securities, and can be sent to Community Foundation for Mason County, 119 S. Rath Ave., Ludington, MI 49431. Note Scottville Clown Band Bus Fund in check memo or in reference to the donation.
Online contributions can be made here.
For more information, contact the Community Foundation for Mason County at 231-845-0326 or Scottville Clown Band Treasurer Rob Alway at 231-757-3202 or scottvilleclownbandinc@gmail.com.
Scottville Clown Band in Pentwater Homecoming Parade.
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