460 North Shore Drive
The Surf Ballroom was built in 1948 on the shore of Clear Lake, replacing an earlier ballroom that was destroyed by fire. It quickly became one of the Midwest’s premier dance halls and music venues, drawing audiences from across the region.
In addition to having The Little River Band, Loverboy, The Righteous Brothers, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, Waylon Jennings and Bobby Rydell perform here, this ballroom is most famous for being the last place that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper played.
In the early morning of February 3, 1959, immediately after their show, they chartered a small plane to take them to Fargo, North Dakota. They never made it and that date has been known as “The Day the Music Died.”
Each February, fans and musicians gather at the Surf for the Winter Dance Party tribute event, celebrating the lives and music of Holly, Valens, and The Big Bopper with performances, dances, and festivities, keeping their legacy alive over six decades later.
Noteworthy Concerts Held At Surf Ballroom
9/10/2021 – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
8/19/2021 – The Association
8/19/2021 – The Turtles
8/16/2021 – The Beach Boys
9/23/2019 – Robert Plant
7/21/2019 – REO Speedwagon
2/2/2019 – Chubby Checker
10/5/2018 – Parliament-Funkadelic
8/8/2018 – The Psychedelic Furs
3/31/2018 – Peter Frampton
8/3/2019 – Ted Nugent
8/2/2017 – The Wallflowers
3/26/2016 – Robby Krieger
4/4/2015 – ZZ Top
10/5/2013 – B.B. King
2/5/2011 – Jerry Lee Lewis
5/19/2007 – The Doobie Brothers
7/2/2004 – Styx
8/6/1974 – Santana
8/8/1965 – The Guess Who
5/29/1963 – Paul & Paula
Surf Ballroom
460 North Shore Drive
Clear Lake IA 50428
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