And suddenly out of nowhere, it appears we’ve moved into Fall weather. Nothing pairs better with marching band than crisp air and warm apple cider. This Saturday, October 01, we have 4 Scholastic competitions and one MCBA competition. Additionally, 7 bands head to Ohio for the BOA Toledo Regional. And, for the first time in site history, we will be covering a competition live, all day, in real time!
Alma College
Alma College hosts its annual Scholastic competition Saturday, beginning at 1:20 PM with the National Anthem. 10 bands compete prior to the Alma College Kiltie Marching Band exhibition performance (scheduled for 5:30 PM). Awards for Classes D, C, and B will occur at 3:15 PM. Class A awards will be at 5:45 PM.
Please be advised – this is a college campus, and parking may not be the most convenient. Always allot extra time in case walking is necessary.
For more on the Alma College Invitational, click here.
Chippewa Valley
Chippewa Valley hosts their competition in Clinton Township this Saturday, with a start time of 6:25 PM. The Chippewa Valley Big Reds Marching Band will perform the National Anthem prior to Class C competition. 10 Bands will compete. Awards for all Classes will be at 9:30 PM.
For more information about Chippewa Valley, visit here.
Red Flannel Festival
Saturday morning, Cedar Springs hosts its annual invitational, as part of the city’s Red Flannel Festival. The Marching competition begins bright and early – at 8:00 AM. 12 bands will compete at this event. Additionally, five bands will perform for MSBOA ratings. Class C awards are 10:00 AM, with Awards for B, D, and A, and MSBOA Ratings, occurring at 1:30 PM.
The Red Flannel Festival Grand Parade will step off at 3:00 PM in downtown Cedar Springs. Bands from the contest may have chosen to enter the parade. Grab something red and a lawn chair, and head downtown after the contest to enjoy this parade.
For more information on the Red Flannel Festival, click here.
Hastings
This Saturday, Hastings hosts its 25th annual invitational, and we are excited to be partnered with them to live-blog the event. The event starts at 1:10 PM with a performance of the National Anthem by the Hastings Varsity singers. Class D takes the field at 1:15 PM. Class B follows, with awards for Classes D and B at 3:45 PM. Class C begins at 5:00 PM; Class A starts at 6:30 PM. Class AA begins at 8:00 PM, and Hastings performs in exhibition at 8:30 PM. Awards for C, A, and AA will be at 8:45 PM.
We’ll be live-blogging from our site throughout the day, sharing band repertoires, photos, facts, and awards. If you cannot make it to the stadium, this is the next best option to stay “in-the-know.” The live feed works on mobile – so feel free to check in even if you’re at other contests!
For more information on the competition, included ticket costs and lineup, please visit here.
For the page where we’ll be live-blogging the event, visit here.
Novi
The lone MCBA competition, Novi is host to 11 bands this Saturday. The event begins at 5:05 PM. Awards for all Flights will occur at 9:00 PM. We anticipate an $8 admission fee for adults.
For more information on Novi’s invitational, click here.
BOA Toledo
BOA hosts their annual “Northwest Ohio/Southeast Michigan” regional at Glass Bowl Stadium at University of Toledo this Saturday. This is a Prelims-Finals format event. 22 high school bands will compete in Prelims. Regardless of class, the top 10 bands will advance to a Final competition that evening.
Tickets are $18 for Prelims, and $18 for Finals. A Day Pass is available for $27, and includes entry to both Prelims and Finals. Select discounts are available.
Competing at BOA Toledo from Michigan are, in performance order (time in parentheses):
- West Bloomfield (10:45 AM)
- Rockford (12:30 PM)
- Lake Orion (12:45 PM)
- Jenison (01:00 PM)
- Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (01:30 PM)
- Plymouth-Canton (03:00 PM)
- Walled Lake Central (03:15 PM)
Click here for the Full Prelims Schedule. We’ll report throughout the day as we learn results of any and all advancements into Finals.
Please be advised – this is a college campus, and parking may not be the most convenient. Always allot extra time in case walking is necessary. This event may charge for parking.
We want to wish all bands the best of luck this Saturday.
As always, it is impossible for us to be at every event – especially this weekend, as we’ll be covering Hastings live. If you are in attendance at Red Flannel Festival, Alma, Novi, BOA Toledo, or Chippewa Valley, please feel free to send us scores or updates throughout the day.
Tweet at us: @mimarching or Like us on Facebook.
Don’t forget to send us your show information if we’re missing it!
Can’t get enough of a marching band fix? On Tuesday, October 4, the Wyandotte Roosevelt Downriver Fanfare will be live-broadcast from BandDirector.com. For more information on the Downriver Fanfare lineup and a link to the stream, click here.