Fans of the Wildwood Artist Series have long appreciated the quality and diversity of the concert series that showcases local, regional and national artists.

This year they have a lot to look forward to again as organizers have lined up six performances for the series' 20th anniversary season, including the world-renown Vienna Boys Choir.

"Bringing the Vienna Boys Choir to Mahtomedi is a very big deal," said Mary Kiel, who handles tickets for the series whose mission is to present family-appropriate and affordable performing arts events for residents of Mahtomedi and surrounding communities.

The Vienna Boys Choir, founded in 1498 by Emperor Maximilian I, has delighted audiences worldwide for six centuries. It will sing at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Road in Mahtomedi.

With the theme "A Family Affair: Family Entertainment at its Finest," the 2010-11 series kicks off Friday with an ice cream social at 6:30 p.m. and a performance of jazz, country and 1960s and '70s numbers by Dan Perry's Ice Cream Band at 7:15 p.m. The social and concert also is a fundraiser, with proceeds going towards renovating the Chautauqua Fine Arts Center, the theater attached to Mahtomedi High School, where most Wildwood Artist Series concerts are held. The Vienna Boys Choir was moved next door to St. Andrew's to accommodate the large crowd that is expected, Kiel said.

The season also will include performances by the Mahtomedi School District Music Faculty on Nov. 21 and folk singer John McCutcheon on Feb. 4. Irish singer Katie McMahon, best known for her soprano solo on the original "Riverdance," will perform with her singers and dancers March 25, and Mahtomedi High School graduates Carina Mikulich Ellis and Jessica Pistor, who go by the name "Fancy Hands," will play folk-rock, American folk numbers and original tunes in the season's closing concert on April 10.

Over the years the series has featured headline acts such as Arlo Guthrie, the Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats, Moore by Four, Nachito Herrera and Shirley Witherspoon, and in the process gained a loyal following, said Wildwood Executive Director Ellie Bruner.

"The series has been enthusiastically received by the community and by patrons well beyond our community," she said. Many of the shows sell out, she said.

In addition to providing low-cost entertainment -- this year a season pass to all events except the Vienna Choir Boys and Fancy Hands runs $50 for adults, $35 for seniors and $20 for students -- the series also raises money to support music programs in the Mahtomedi Public Schools and provide performing arts scholarships for Mahtomedi students. Single event tickets range from $7 to $20.

"This is a true gem in our community," said Kiel. "The community feedback about what we're doing is very positive, which tells us that we're doing a lot of things right."

Tim Harlow • 651-735-1824