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Presented by the Historic Surf Ballroom & Museum in association
with The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

For nearly six decades, The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa has hosted an amazing array of legendary national artists, from the big band and country swing greats, to the popular rock and rollers of the day.  Today, restored to the original vintage design, the Surf Ballroom stands proudly as one of the few remaining venues of its kind in the nation. Throughout it’s colorful history there is no association with The Surf that is stronger than the fateful last performance of rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and Ritchie Valens on February 2, 1959. During the annual Winter Dance Party commemoration planned for 2009, there is the extraordinary opportunity to celebrate, “50 Winters Later,” the legacy and influences of these talented young men.  More broadly, it is an opportunity to mark the calendar of rock and roll history reflecting on the special nature of this moment, paying tribute to music and artists of the past and present, and, the obvious fact that the music did not die February 3rd, 1959.

The Surf Ballroom and Museum, Inc is a non for profit organization dedicated to the preservation and accurate representation of this historic event.