May 18 has been declared Don Bates Day by Hopkins Mayor Gene Maxwell to honor Bates' 45 years of contributions to music and the arts in Hopkins.

Bates taught and was band conductor for Hopkins Public Schools from 1967-1999, and last September he ended a 29-year run as principal conductor of the Hopkins Westwind Concert Band.

There will be a ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the band shell in Hopkins Downtown Park to honor Bates. A permanent plaque recognizing Bates' decades of service to the Hopkins community will be unveiled, along with speeches from some of Bates' former students, community leaders that have worked with Bates over the years, and state Sen. Ron Latz.

The ceremony is part of Hopkins Mainstreet Days, which runs 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. Mainstreet Days will feature more than 100 art and craft vendors, food and kids' activities on Mainstreet between 8th and 11th Avenues.

Bates will be honored again on June 2 at 7 p.m. when the Hopkins Westwind Concert Band presents a free concert at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, where he has previously served on the board of directors.