JUNE 24, 2026 – The New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division “Rainbow” Band will mark the 250th anniversary of American independence with eight patriotic concerts being held across New York starting on June 25.
The 90-minute concerts by the 23- Soldier band feature patriotic marches like “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and “Over There.”
The band’s smaller groups, “The Bear Mountain Brass” and the “Governor’s Own Brass Quintet” will be playing tunes that reflect American history and culture. These include ‘Star Wars’, the “Revolutionary War Medley,” and ‘Sweet Dreams’.
The concert series kicks off on June 25 with an appearance at the Cortland Waterfront Performance Stage in Verplanck at 7 p.m.
The tour ends with two performances in New York City and one on Long Island.
On July 3, the band will perform at 6:30 p.m. at the Fort Wadsworth-Gateway National Recreation Center on Staten Island prior to the fireworks show.
On the 4th, the band will play on board at the U.S.S. Intrepid Museum at 10 a.m., during the International Naval Review and International Aircraft Review.
Finally, at 6 p.m. on July 4, the band will perform at the Jones Beach Bandshell in Wantagh.
Other appearances are:
- June 26, the Schaghticoke Fairground in Schaghticoke at 7:15 p.m.
- June 27, the Buffalo Canalside Boardwalk State in Buffalo at 4 p.m.
- June 28, the Niagara Falls Visitor Center at 11 a.m.
- June 29, the Alphonso Dimino Memorial Bandshell in Academy Park in Lewiston at 7 p.m.
- June 30, Music in the Park at the Village Ball Park in Silver Creek at 6 p.m.
The 42nd Infantry Division Band, nicknames the “Rainbow Band” because the 42nd Infantry Division is the “Rainbow Division” was constituted in 1943 when the 42nd Infantry Division was reactivated for World War II. The band can trace its roots back to New York militia bands created in the 19th Century.
The band is based at Camp Smith Training Site in Cortlandt Manor and serves as a musical ambassador for the 42nd Infantry Division and the New York Army National Guard.
The band conducts an annual concert tour, performs at military events, and marches in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City each year.
The band is commanded and led by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ethan Wagner.
Each member of the band is a trained Soldier. In 2004 and 2005 the band was mobilized and deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, where band members performed security duties when they were not entertaining Soldiers.
By Eric Durr