In the Fall of 1994, as Bob Briggs was leading the California Marching Band through their last season before his retirement, it was suggested to him that he could fill his time in retirement by starting up a community band to conduct in Fairfield. Before becoming the Director of Bands at the University of California, Bob was the director of the Armijo SuperBand, building a standard of excellence with that high school program. Strong high school bands in Fairfield have been around since that time, including many successful years for the Fairfield Scarlet Brigade. What was missing was a place for adult musicians to continue to play their instruments.

Bob took on the challenge, and attended Community Band workshops at the MidWest Band Clinic in Chicago that year. In the summer of 1995, a group of musicians gathered to discuss the possibility of putting together such a group, and two months later, 40 band musicians gathered at Fairfield High School for the first rehearsal of the Solano Winds. One week after that first rehearsal of October 5, 1995, over 50 musicians from seven counties were with the band to prepare for our first performance at Will C. Wood High School in December.

Since that enthusiastic beginning, the band has regularly fielded a band of 45-65 members to perform a number of concerts throughout the year. Each year, the band has prepared four formal programs, and has also performed at events such as the Fourth of July Fireworks Show in Suisun, numerous concerts at Paradise Valley Estates, and an annual appearance in the Carmichael Park Community Band Festival each June. The band has grown organizationally from our beginnings as well - starting with $500 grants from Gordon's Music and Sound and the Fairfield Scarlet Brigade Boosters in 1995, we now enjoy funding from a number of donors and concert ticket sales. Still, the purpose of the band remains as when it started - to perform high quality band literature well, and to have fun doing it!

Holiday Concert from December 6, 2024, at the Fairfield Downtown Theatre.