It’s time again for marching bands across the Bay Area to battle it out.
The 46th annual Tournament of Bands will be held at Cupertino High School on Oct. 8. from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
More than 4,000 band students and spectators are expected to attend the event, which will feature approximately 20 marching bands. A parade, field show and field command competitions are planned for the day.
Local schools such as Fremont, Homestead, Lynbrook and Saratoga high schools are competing, as are bands from as far away as Merced and Oregon.
The day starts with an admission-free parade at 9:15 a.m., beginning on Calle de Barcelona and Miller Avenue. Bands will work their way along a parade route to Stevens Creek Boulevard, just east of Miller Avenue.
The competitions will be judged by 13 Northern California Band Association marching band judges, who will award first- and second-place trophies for each band class based on size, as well as trophies for best music, marching, showmanship, drum majors, percussion, flags and best overall parade band.
After the parade competition is the “drill-down” competition at 12:30 p.m. where students follow the commands of a drum major. Three medals will be awarded to the top finishers.
Finally, the field show competition is at 4:30 p.m. where each band will perform an eight- to 10-minute piece with a chosen theme. Admission is $10 per person.
According to Jennifer Shearin, the tournament’s chair, the event is an annual crowd-pleaser.
“Tournament of Bands is a universally enjoyed event by the families who live in Cupertino,” she said in a press statement. “Cupertino High School and its students are very proud of hosting this event, which brings together fantastic local musicians and our local community. Tournament of Bands has been a tradition for 46 years, and many residents have remarked on how they look forward to it every year.”
For more information, visit chs.fuhsd.org/TOB.
