With no culminating “Finals competition,” we all knew that the time would come this year when the Scholastic Bands experience their final competition. This weekend, Jenison hosts the final Scholastic Competition of 2011. As part of their exceptionally large Marching Invitational, Jenison hosts 22 Scholastic bands – which makes this the second largest SMB contest of the year.
Normally, a one-contest weekend has not been getting a long write up, but as this is the last Scholastic event of 2011, we’re allowing this post to be longer. The competition opens at 8:45am, with Class D starting competition at 9:00. Decatur, Martin, Bridgman, River Valley, and Gobles compete in Class D. C starts at 10:30 with Blissfield, and continues with Orchard View, Dowagiac, Fennville, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, and Kelloggsville. Class D and C awards are at 12:15pm.
Class B starts at 12:30pm. We recommend Class B supporters arrive early, as there will not be much time between awards (12:15) and Wayland Union’s performance (12:30). Wayland is followed in Class B by Vicksburg, Sparta, Ionia, Wyoming Park, and Plainwell. Class A is kicked off by Portage Northern at 2:15pm. Kenowa Hills, Kalamazoo Central, Otsego, and Petoskey finish off Class A. Jenison performs their 2011 show, “Tempest’s Fury” at 3:45pm in exhibition. Class B and A awards are at 4:00pm.
The Jenison Marching Invitational is always an exciting one, as it is the last SMB competition of the year. The 22 bands in attendance have been working hard since summer to perfect their shows, and Jenison is, for many, their last opportunity to perform to a crowd. Let’s pull out those noise makers and clear those throats, as these bands deserve strong support from every spectator.
The lineup of the schedule is available here. The staff of Michigan Marching will be at Jenison, and we are planning on live updating scores throughout the day. You may notice that the link provided has two lineups; Jenison is the only school to host both a Scholastic and MCBA competition on the same day. If you’re crazy like us, stay for both and help support an additional 21 bands!
Jenison is located at 2140 Bauer Road in Jenison. Please note that the parking lot can get very full during the Class B and A portions of the Scholastic competition.
The ticket prices for Jenison are as follow:
- $6.00 for Adults
- $4.00 for Students (K-12) and Seniors
- A Family package is available for $20, limited to 2 adults
- Preschool-aged children and younger get in free
The MCBA competition starts at 4:30pm.