You read that correctly: Michigan invades Indiana this weekend, as Edwardsburg heads south across state lines to participate in the Penn Kingsmen Carnival of Bands. In Michigan, we have four Scholastic competitions, and the first scored MCBA contest of the season.
Gibraltar Carlson – Spectacular, Spectacular
“No words of the vernacular can describe this great event.” Known for its’ World Famous Deep Fried Oreos, Carlson High in Gibraltar hosts their annual contest, “Spectacular Spectacular.” 10 bands will be competing, with Carlson’s exhibition performance happening before awards.
The day starts at 3:00 PM with the National Anthem. Awards for all classes will be at 6:00 PM. More information about Spectacular, Spectacular can be found here.
Grand Haven
Ten bands will also convene in Grand Haven this Saturday. Always an evening show, this contest begins with the National Anthem at 5:35 PM. Awards for all classes will take place at 8:45 PM.
For more information about Grand Haven’s contest, visit here.
Knight Time Classic
Kenowa Hills hosts their annual Knight Time Class this Saturday. 12 bands will be in performance. Class C competes from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. At 12:00 PM, there is an extended lunch break that will feature the Kenowa Hills dance team. Competition resumes at 1:00 PM with Class B. Class A begins at 2:00 PM, and Awards for all classes will be at 3:15 PM.
For more information on the Knight Time Classic, click here.
Otsego
18 bands will perform at Otsego on Saturday. The contest opens at 1:55 PM with a performance of the National Anthem. Awards for Classes D and C will occur at 3:30 PM. Awards for Classes B and A will be at 8:15 PM. Tickets are $6 for all.
For more on Otsego’s invitational, including directions, click here.
Lamphere
Lamphere has the distinction of being the first scored MCBA contest of 2016. Thirteen bands will be in competition in Madison Heights this Saturday. The John Page Middle School band will perform the National Anthem at 4:45 PM. Competition begins at 5:00 PM, with Flight IV, followed by Flight I. Awards for Flights IV and I will be at 6:45 PM.
Competition resumes at 7:30 PM with Flight II, with Flight III to follow. Awards for Flights II and III will be at 9:30 PM. We anticipate an $8 admission fee for adults.
For more information on Lamphere’s competition, click here.
Penn Kingsmen Carnival of Bands
Venturing out-of-state this weekend, Edwardsburg heads to Mishawaka, Indiana, to compete at the Penn Kingsmen Carnival of Bands. This is a long contest – beginning at 12:59 PM. Edwardsburg competes in Class C at 3:22 PM.
Those times are not typos! Indiana allows a maximum of 13 minutes per group – the Michigan standard is 15 minutes. Additionally, for marching competitions, Indiana’s “Class” system works similar to MCBA’s Flights: Class denotation is arbitrarily assigned based upon even groups; Class C in Indiana is equivalent to Flight III in MCBA. Class C awards occur at 5:19 PM.
If you are able to go, we may recommend attending this contest. In addition to seeing Michigan’s own Edwardsburg, there are many great band programs from Indiana, and this could be an interesting day.
For more information on the Carnival of Bands, click here.
We want to wish all participating bands the best of luck this weekend!
If you’ve made it to the text down here, you’re a dedicated and loyal fan. So much so, you know you want to help us out. It’s impossible for us to be at every event – if you attend any, please take a few minutes to send in band programs or share competition results. It doesn’t cost you anything, and you will earn our undying gratitude.
And, have you heard? Michigan Marching will be live-blogging the 25th Annual Hastings Marching Band Invitational on October 1. We’ll be posting photos, sharing show information, providing general commentary, and keeping you up-to-date throughout the entire event. If you cannot attend the event, this will be a great, alternative experience. Mark your calendars!