Winter Dance Party: The Tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper at Val Air

Name: Winter Dance Party: The Tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper at Val Air
Start: 2026-01-30T18:30:00-06:00
Location: Val Air Ballroom

Schedule

Fri, 30 Jan, 2026 at 06:30 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

Val Air Ballroom | West Des Moines, IA

Presented by First Fleet Concerts
Winter Dance Party: The Number One Tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper
Doors: 6:30 PM
Show: 7:30 PM
All Ages
Tickets on sale now online at axs.com
John Mueller’s “Winter Dance Party” ® is the official live and authentic re-creation of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper's final tour and the only show endorsed by the Holly, Valens and Richardson estates. Each live concert performance includes over two hours of unbridled, high voltage entertainment featuring all the hit songs of the 50's era: That'll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Oh, Boy, Rave on, La Bamba, Chantilly Lace, and many, many more.
John Mueller, the critically acclaimed former star of the U.S. touring version of the London/Broadway hit musical "Buddy..the Buddy Holly Story," performs as Buddy Holly and Linwood Sasser fills the legendary footsteps of the Big Bopper. Ray Anthony performs as Ritchie Valens and was a renowned star of the "Legends of Rock and Roll" show at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas. The very authentic and energetic four piece band (guitar, drums, stand up bass and sax) includes Craig Harbaugh on saxophone.
The Winter Dance Party show has performed in front of over 2 million people on national TV for the Jerry Lewis Telethon, has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada at theatres, performing arts centers, ballrooms, corporate events, casinos and even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with John Mellencamp, Marshall Crenshaw and others.
Highlights over the years have included receiving the keys to the city of Green Bay, WI from the Mayor, playing in the legendary Surf ballroom on the same day Buddy, Ritchie, and the Big Bopper did 50 years prior and performing on stage with Maria Elena Holly (Buddy's widow), Niki Sullivan (an original Cricket band member) and Tommy Allsup (original Winter Dance Party guitarist and legendary Nashville producer.)