If you had a thought that this weekend might be a busy one, you were correct. October 8 provides a plethora of band performances, with 6 scholastic shows, 2 MCBA contests, and BOA taking over the Silverdome. The 6 SMB shows this weekend are: Grand Haven, John Glenn, Alma, Brandon, Grandville, and Lakeshore. We’ve got some very important news for you regarding Grandville and Lakeshore – so please read this all the way through!
Grand Haven
A recent change at Grand Haven brings Iain Novoselich into position as head director for Grand Haven, and as such this is in first year organizing their marching competition. We wish him and the competition the most successful run possible! Grand Haven hosts 8 bands; 6 in competition and 2 on MSBOA sheets. The event begins at 6:00pm, with Fremont taking the field at 6:15 to begin Class C competition. Awards for classes C, B, and A will be at approximately 8:50pm. The High School is located at 17001 Ferris Street in Grand Haven, and a full schedule is available here.
John Glenn
Westland John Glenn plays hosts to 6 bands this Saturday. Competition starts at 3:00pm with Livonia Stevenson in Class A. Taylor Truman and Wayne Memorial finish up Class A, followed by a 30 minute break. Taylor Kennedy, Blissfield, and Springport comprise Class C (which starts at 4:15). John Glenn performs in exhibition at 5:00pm, with awards happening approximately at 5:30. John Glenn’s high school is located at 36105 Marquette Street in Westland. To view the lineup, follow this link.
Alma
The Alma invitational is one of very few marching events in Michigan hosted by a College or University. Alma College is located at 614 West Superior Street in Alma. As this is a college campus, we advise you to arrive early to locate parking (there are several different lots on campus). The Football stadium (Bahlke Field) is located on the Northern portion of campus. Competition starts at 11:00am with Carrollton in Class C. The Kiltie Marching Band performs in exhibition at 2:15pm. Check out the full lineup here.
Brandon
In the city of Ortonville resides a Class A school named Brandon. This Saturday, they host 10 bands at their competition. Notre Dame Prep and Goodrich compete in Class B, which starts at 12:30pm. Class A begins at 1:00 with Swartz Creek. Awards are scheduled to happen around 3:40pm, after Brandon performs in exhibition. The high school is located at 1025 S. Ortonville Road, and the full schedule is located here.
Grandville
It’s only fitting that on the weekend that presents the largest number of Scholastic competitions, that we have two schools with “Grand” in the name playing hosts. Grandville’s competition starts at 9:40am, with competition in Class C kicked off by Montague at 9:45. Class C awards are around 11:30; Class B starts at 12:15pm. Class B and A awards happen at approximately 3:00pm, after Grandville’s exhibition performance. A full lineup of bands can be located here.
We have an important note for spectators: While Grandville’s High School is located at 4700 Canal Avenue Southwest, spectators are asked to use the Wilson Avenue entrance. This entrance is located between a strip mall and Costco, and across the street from Best Buy. If you’re using the good ol’ GPS unit, we recommend using the address for Costco, which is 4901 Wilson Avenue Southwest. If you accidentally turn into Costco’s parking lot, don’t worry – head north and you can get onto the Football Stadium’s access road.
Lakeshore
And, last but not least in our preview, we have Lakeshore’s Marching Invitational down in Stevensville. If we gave superlative awards, Lakeshore’s invitational would win the award for largest competition in Michigan this weekend, with 25 bands in attendance. Class D starts in Al Stockman Stadium at 3:00pm. After an astonishing 7 bands, Class C begins at 4:45 with Hartford leading the pack. Awards for Classes D and C are at approximately 6:15pm. There is only a 30 minute break (including awards) between Class C and B, and while Lakeshore has a large stadium, there is still expected to be a large transition of spectators. As always, if your band performs in class B, please arrive early, or allow spectators leaving the stands to exit first, to allow for a smooth transition. We’d like to once again welcome the LaPorte Marching Band from LaPorte, Indiana to this competition! Returning as reigning Class A Champions, LaPorte will present their show, “Africa: Ceremony, Song, and Ritual” at 9:45pm, prior to Lakeshore’s exhibition performance. A lineup for the competition is available here.
Important Note to Bands and Spectators: Stevensville is presently undergoing major road construction. If you are heading from the South, when you get directions to the High School, which is located at 5771 Cleveland Avenue in Stevensville, you will most likely be instructed to take the John Beers Road exit from I-94 (Exit 22). There is a detour on John Beers due to the road construction. The detour signs will help you; however, instead of turning onto S. Roosevelt Road off of Marquette Woods, stay on Marquette Woods until you reach Cleveland Avenue (you will encounter a blinking red light at the intersection of Cleveland and Marquette Woods). Turn right onto Cleveland and head South; once you encounter the next stop light, you’ll see the high school in front of you on the left (Walgreens will be on your right). The stadium is south of the School, and this is where spectators are asked to park.
If you’re heading from the North, your directions will most likely be what you need to do. We’ve create a map that hopefully helps explains this. If you have any questions about these routes, do not hesitate to contact us and we will try to clarify any issues you may have.