Participants attend to see handicrafts, eat traditional food, hear music, dance, and solidify their friendships. At the one held monthly during warm weather in Highlandville, Iowa, for example, for which the Bill Sherburne Band of Spring Grove plays, dancing is only one social activity. Some people listen intently but do not dance. Others use the music and social activity as a backdrop for conversation. Some may interact with band members directly by requesting a number or even sitting in to play with them.
People sit or stand along the sides in the old schoolhouse where the dance takes place.
Some bring their children, who might play with other children. There is a refrigerator in the kitchen for cold drinks. On the porch, in the area of cut grass immediately in front of the schoolhouse door, and around their cars, groups of people gather and talk. All of these spots are separate environments where different activities take place. Participants move freely from one area to another, encountering different people at each location.