Name That Tower Tunes Live
A Mahanay Maestro will play the carillon with songs of their choice. Individuals or groups will write down the titles of the songs. The Maestro will announce the titles at the end. Prizes are awarded!
Name That Tower Tunes Live
A Mahanay Maestro will play the carillon with songs of their choice. Individuals or groups will write down the titles of the songs. The Maestro will announce the titles at the end. Prizes are awarded!
Bell Tower Festival 2023
The annual Bell Tower Festival will be held the weekend of June 9-10, 2023.
Bell Tower Festival 2023
The 2023 Bell Tower Festival will be held on June 9-10 in downtown Jefferson. A fundraising downtown dinner will be held the evening of June 8. The festival theme is Live Your Legacy with the year of ’23 being a Legacy year. Activities and entertainment are planned for families to enjoy along with the famous parade. Class reunions traditionally return to the community during the festival weekend so it is a great weekend to catch up with family and friends.
The Bell Tower Festival website at www.belltowerfestival.com and the Facebook page of Bell Tower Festival share all of the updates, links for registrations, entertainment and activities. A new website that highlights all Jefferson and Greene County is www.experiencejeffersoniowa.com. Be sure to check these out and save them to refer back to later on.
The Mahanay Memorial Carillon (Bell Tower) will be open extended hours during the Festival: Friday from 10 am – 8 pm; Saturday from 9 am – 8 pm; and Sunday 10 am – 4 pm.
Youth are FREE courtesy of the Victor Zike Trust and the Rosalene (Kay) Zike Trust, in memory of the parents of Bell Tower Foundation President Carole Custer. Adult admission is $5. There may be limited numbers allowed in the lobby and Paul Nally Observation Deck at a time, but everyone will have a chance to take the tour. Individual season passes are available at the tower for $25.
Come for the view. Stay for the bells. The bells continue to ring the Westminster Chimes each quarter hour. Two songs play after each hour from 8 am – 8 pm. Views from the observation are spectacular with rooftop art installations and the beautiful rural countryside.
The Jefferson Chimes
A musical contest has been announced by the Mahanay Music Committee of the Bell Tower Community Foundation. An original, short, musical phrase that can be played on the carillon will be used to call people to special events in the community. Musicians should consider how the Kentucky Derby bugle call, the Westminster Chimes, or the CBS tones are recognizable and serve as a brand. This contest would create an identifiable musical phrase specific to the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower as a fanfare before special events.
Musicians are asked to submit entries in written notation by June 1 to mahanaybelltower@gmail.com. A suggestion is to use the two octaves above and below middle C. A committee will review all entries by listening to them played on the carillon and make a recommendation to the Greene County Board of Supervisors. The winning fanfare will be officially named “The Jefferson Chimes” and debuted at the 2023 Bell Tower Festival calling people to the Opening Ceremonies. This chime will continue to be used to call people to other special events in the community.
For more information or questions, please go to www.mahanaybelltower.org or contact music coordinator Peg Raney.
Name That Tower Tune Live Concert
A Mahanay Maestro will play the carillon with songs of their choice. Individuals or groups will write down the titles of the songs. The Maestro will announce the titles at the end. Prizes are awarded!
Bells Are Ringing!
The Mahanay Memorial Carillon is ringing again! The problem with the controller has been fixed by the Verdin Company of Ohio and the bells can now chime. Each hour and quarter hour, the bells play the Westminster Chimes. Two songs are played several minutes after each hour from 8 am – 8 pm. Visitors love hearing the bells ring and the community is glad to hear them again too!
Visit the Mahanay Bell Tower!
The Mahanay Bell Tower is now open daily from 10 am – 4 pm. Our friendly staff will share the story of Floyd and Dora Mahanay in our lovely lobby area. An elevator will take you to the Paul Nally Observation deck which is all enclosed with glass and air-conditioned, so easy for visitors to see the magnificent view. The Iowa countryside, Jefferson downtown, and installations of rooftop art are enjoyed by all ages. The 47 bell carillon plays throughout the day. The Westminster chimes are played each quarter hour and two songs are played after each hour from 8 am – 8 pm. Jefferson’s downtown is full of art and very pedestrian-friendly, so plan to spend the day!
Adults are just $3 and all youth age 18 and younger are free courtesy of our sponsor for 2022, the Dean & Lois McAtee Trust.
Festival is smashing success!
The 2022 Bell Tower Festival that also celebrated Jefferson’s 150th birthday was an outstanding success. The attendance at the Mahanay Bell Tower over the three days was close to 1,000 visitors. So many comments of all ages on the bells ringing, rooftop art, view from the observation deck and friendly staff members were heard throughout the weekend.
The Bell Tower Festival was coordinated through The Jefferson Matters: Main Street & Chamber’s Events Team with Dr. Philip Heisterkamp serving as the chairperson for the third year. The attendance at the festival as a whole was greater than those of recent years. Other than a few showers, the weather cooperated with mild temps and no wind! The downtown was showcased in all of its beauty to class reunions, families and friends who gathered for the annual festival.
Elementary Students Visit
In the next two weeks, just under 400 Jefferson Elementary students and their teachers will visit The Mahanay Bell Tower, Thomas Jefferson Gardens, Sally’s Alley, and the newest plaza sculptures in Downtown Jefferson. What a great way to end the school year!
