The Central Iowa Barn Dance Association wants you to come out and enjoy the sounds of old-time string band music this Saturday. And no, folks, the scheduling of this event was not planned to be on the same day as Veishea, said Roger Alexander, coordinator of the event.

“We planned this series last summer and chose the third weekend in April,” Alexander said. “This was by coincidence.”

Alexander said the possibility of a large turnout would be nice. The barn dance usually caters to about 40 people. “When we had Cathy Barton and Dave Para, we had about 70 people,” Alexander said.

“I think what we’d like to do is see it flourish and continue to grow in size,” he added.

All group dances will be taught and called. The evening can include square dances, reels, circles, polkas and waltzes. Dancers range in age from 20 to 60, Alexander said. “I really can’t tell,” he said. “Occasionally people bring their kids, and we even get ISU students.”

Since 1992, the Iowa Barn Dance has been providing different types of music for dancers. The reason for the dance being in Iowa was that many of the people who dance wanted something closer to home, Alexander said.

“We wanted to have the same thing here in Iowa,” he said. “A lot of us lived elsewhere or traveled away to places like Kansas, New York or New England.”

Alexander pointed out that this is in no way original for Iowa or even Ames to have a dance series. He said the Onion Creek Cloggers have had a dance series in Ames since 1983.

The Barn Owl Band will play dance tunes from English, Irish, Scottish and American Appalachian and Southern traditions.

Soft-soled shoes are recommended, and it is suggested that beginners come ready to dance at 7:30 p.m. This event will last from 7:30 to 11 p.m. in the First Baptist Church, which is located at 200 Lynn Ave.