The City of Marquette and Marquette City Band will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the Peg Hirvonen Band Shell on Monday, June 2 beginning at 11:00 a.m. at the band shell site on Presque Isle in Marquette.

The original Presque Isle Band Shell was constructed in 1935, and after nearly a century of use by the community for concerts and special events was formally decommissioned in 2022. In 2023, the City of Marquette, Marquette City Band, and other community stakeholders began working together to plan for the design of a new band shell.

Demolition of the old band shell will begin on June 2 with construction of the Peg Hirvonen Band Shell to immediately follow. Construction is expected to be completed by November with final landscaping in spring of 2026, in time for performances and community events to resume in summer 2026.

The Marquette City Band is spearheading public fundraising efforts to cover the cost of construction. Thanks to the generosity of community members and several key donors, over half of this funding has been secured, however a significant amount still needs to be raised. Fundraising efforts will continue through the summer and fall; for more information on the project and how to give, please visit www.mqtcompass.com/bandshell.