Alphorn at Concours for Cause

On August 11, Monika and Peter had the fun of taking their alphorns to Carmel for Concours for Cause, where they got to play in the German section of the exhibition.

It was definitely a little unusual to see two Swiss alphorns among all the beautiful cars and exhibits—but that’s part of the fun! They played a few tunes, talked with lots of curious people, and answered the inevitable questions “So…how do you actually play that thing?” and “How do you transport it?”

The setting was fantastic, the weather cooperated, and it was great to share a little bit of Swiss tradition in Carmel.

We brought our 12-foot Swiss alphorns to the Oakland Ballers game last night, August 5, 2026, to play some baseball classics.

Stephen, Jonathon, Monika, Jill, Peter, and Mary lined up on the field right before the first pitch to perform the national anthem, and it was awesome hearing the deep acoustic tones echo across the stadium.

We came back out for the 7th-inning stretch and used our giant wooden horns to lead the crowd in “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Big thanks to the Ballers and all the fans for having us out and singing along!

We wish you a Happy New Year and all the best in 2026!

Check out the dates on our home page, If you would like to hear or join us at one of our public practice sessions at Lake Merritt in Oakland. We would love to welcome you there!

Our latest newsletter is out! Enjoy reading about our performances over the past few months and what’s coming next.

Some performances happen by chance! Monika and Peter stopped by Kirigin Wine Cellars to taste their wine. Having brought their alphorns with them, they asked if the winery would mind if they practiced for a bit in their yard.

Dhruv Khanna heard the practice session and extended an invitation to play alphorn a few hours later at the 25-year anniversary of him owning the winery. Peter and Monika playing their alphorns welcomed the arriving guests at the Tuscan-style clubhouse.

We congratulate Dhruv and Kirigin Wine Cellars to their anniversary!

AlphornsSF were invited by the Sierra Horns to join them for an exquisite Alphorn playing performance at Palisades High Camp on August 22nd. Monika and Jonathon followed the invitation and entertained visitors and tourists on a beautiful Friday morning in an alpine-like setting with their wooden instruments wearing traditional Swiss clothing.

On August 1, the Swiss National Day, Switzerland celebrated its birthday for the 734th time since it was founded in 1291 by the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden and for the 134th time since 1891 when August 1 was established as the the day to celebrate Swiss independence.

Swiss people in the San Francisco Bay Area celebrated, too, and alphorns traditionally play a musical part at those celebrations.

In the picture above, Stephen, Monika, and Peter played at the celebration at the Swiss Park on August 2 while the kids paraded the flags of all the Swiss cantons.

In the picture below, Monika and Peter played on August 1 to welcome guests to the official celebration at the Swiss Consulate in San Francisco on Pier 17.