For those who love marching band music, there will be over seven hours of perpetual motion and music at the Vicksburg High School stadium from 2-9 p.m. on Saturday, October 7. The feature performance with be a face-off between the Vicksburg Big Red Machine drum line and the Portage Central drum line. Both have received excellent ratings over the years.
This is the Second Annual Vicksburg Bulldog Marching Band Invitational. It is sponsored by the Vicksburg Band Boosters and will showcase marching bands from 21 Class A-D high schools, with a total of more than 1,500 students playing for ratings. The show opens with class B bands, then class D bands. There will be a short recess, followed by C and A bands. The first competing band will perform at 2:15, and be followed by others at 15-minute intervals, with two or three breaks for judges built into the schedule.
To end the evening after the Big Red Machine band’s exhibition, the drumlines of Vicksburg and Portage Central will take center field for what should prove to be an exciting Drumline Face-Off at approximately 8:45 p.m.
Marching bands from the following area high schools are scheduled to perform: Schoolcraft, Three Rivers, Kalamazoo Hackett, Portage Central, Portage Northern, Mattawan, Gull Lake, Plainwell, Galesburg-Augusta, and Climax-Scotts. Other schools registered for this event include Constantine, Berrien Springs, Springport, Olivet, Dowagiac, Hartford, Coloma, Fennville, New Buffalo, and Camden-Frontier.
Whether you are a true “band geek” or just enjoy marching band performances, this is an event not to be missed, according to Craig Rolfe, chief organizer of the Invitational. The admission charge is $6, and pre-school age children are admitted free. A variety of food and beverages will be served throughout the day. Volunteers will guide vehicles to available on-site parking at the High School and adjacent Middle School, and nearby locations.
The Vicksburg Band Boosters are working hard to make this event an enjoyable experience for all as well as a successful fundraiser for the Vicksburg Bands program. A strong showing of support by the participating bands and an expected large audience will help solidify the Bulldog Invitational as the premiere annual marching band competition in this area, Rolfe said.