Mount Pleasant High School will host the Northeast Texas Marching Festival on Saturday, October 10 at Sam Parker Field. Bands and color guards from 22 area high schools will perform beginning at 10:00 a.m. with the band from Ore City High School leading off. The contest runs all day. As the host band, the MPHS Goin’ Gold Band won’t compete but will perform at 4:00 p.m.
Area bands competing include Rivercrest, Mt. Vernon, Paul Pewitt, Liberty Eylau, New Boston, Mineola, Sulphur Springs, Texas High, Marshall, Kilgore, Paris and Greenville High Schools.
The awards ceremony will take place a 4:15 p.m.. Awards to be presented include 1st Division Band, 1st Division Color Guard, 1st Division Percussion, 1st Division Drum Major, Most Outstanding Drum Line, Most Outstanding Color Guard, Most Outstanding Drum Major and Northeast Texas Marching Band Finalist.
Seven bands will advance to the finals. After each of the seven gives one final performance, the Northeast Texas Marching Festival Grand Champion will be announced at 6:45 p.m..
Judges will include Dr. Jeff Emge from The University of Texas at Tyler, Les Pack from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Russell Roberts from Pleasant Grove ISD and Marty Newman from Mount Pleasant High School.
“MPHS has hosted this event for several years,” said Dr. Judi Saxton, MPISD Communication Director. “Each year, we’ve had great turn outs and have seen some awesome performances. These band students work long and hard to perfect these routines and it shows. We invite the Mount Pleasant community to come out and enjoy these performances.”
Admission for the Marching Festival is $3 for adults and $2 for K-12th Grade students. Children 5 and under are free. Concession stands will be open.
For more information, or directions to Sam Parker Field, contact Mount Pleasant High School at 903-575-2020.