Winneshiek County Supervisor Chair Defends Fair Board's Confederate Railroad Booking

You'll want to remember this moment. Help us record what's happening in Decorah. DECORAH — The chair of the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors is defending the county fair board's decision to book the country band Confederate Railroad, saying the county has no authority over the fair board's entertainment choices. The comments came during a regularly scheduled Monday morning supervisors meeting, where Chair Dan Langreck addressed the public response to the band's scheduled appearance at the Winneshiek County Fair. The booking has drawn criticism from local advocacy groups and members of the public for the band's name and history of using the confederate flag in their promotional materials. "Apparently a lot of people have a problem with one of the bands that's going to perform this summer," Langreck said. "I would advise them to go on their website and look at the band, and listen to their music for an hour and a half like I did last night. They are not a racist band." Supervisor Steve Kelsay echoed a similar sentiment, saying that his own review of the band's lyrics did not reveal content he considered overtly offensive. "I went and read the lyrics, and I didn't find anything on there that was particularly offensive," Kelsay stated. Supervisor Mark Vick added that the fair board operates independently and is responsible for its own programming decisions. "We give the fair board a little money, and that's all we have to do for fairs," Vick stated, "They're their own board. We do not dictate what they can and can't do." Langreck emphasized that the Winneshiek County Agricultural Association, which oversees the fair, works with limited resources and relies heavily on volunteers. "They have a small amount of money to work with and try to do the best they can," Langreck said. According to the county's FY2026 budget, supervisors approved and allocated $12,500 each to line items "Fair & 4-H Clubs" and "Fairgrounds," for a combined total of $25,000 allocated. Supervisor Mark Faldet acknowledged that concerns about Confederate imagery are understandable, particularly given how such symbols are perceived today, "I understand the Confederate flag is on some of their posters and materials, and that is offensive to a lot of people," he said. "In today's world, you've got to be aware of what you're doing. If people were coming through town and saw an advertisement, and that's what they saw, they'd go like, 'Wow, this is not the place I thought it was going to be.'" Langreck suggested that some of the backlash may stem from quick judgments based on appearances rather than deeper examination. "One song says you should never judge a book by looking at its cover," he said. "That's kind of fitting on this whole thing. You don't do the research, look into it before you form an opinion." As of publication, the Winneshiek County Fair Board had not responded to requests for comment on the booking. Fresh stories, delivered! Sign up for the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and stay informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve.