WAKEFIELD — Wakefield is set to host the biggest event of the season for the New England Scholastic Band Association (NESBA) by welcoming marching bands from across the region to compete this Saturday at Landrigan Field. The day-long event will start with Division I performances at 3:30 p.m. and move through 20 local marching bands in five different divisions concluding with a performance by the Boston University Marching Band.
If you have not caught this year’s performance of ‘Mad Scientist’ this is a great opportunity to show support and see the Wakefield Warrior Marching Band shine their brightest as they showcase their talents and hard work. Under the direction of Visual and Performing Arts Director Tom Bankert and his staff, this year’s marching band has earned the top scores at every competition thus far. Bankert says the students have made lots of progress this year and continue to grow “They continue to improve every rehearsal. It has been a great few weeks of practice and we are very excited to perform for a home crowd.”
The event is put on and largely pulled off with the help of parent volunteers who are a part of The Wakefield Music Boosters. The Music Boosters work all year long raising money for all Visual and Performing Arts events. Bankert says that hosting something this size is a tremendous undertaking “Planning takes months. This is a great opportunity for the Music Boosters to raise much-needed funds to support all the performing arts in the Wakefield Public Schools.” Wakefield High School Principal Amy McLeod says she is grateful for the work of Tom Bankert and his staff and says it’s an honor to welcome all the bands from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, “This competition is not only an opportunity for our own students to shine, but also a chance to connect with and celebrate the music and artistry of students from other schools. I encourage everyone to come out, support our marching band, and enjoy the performances. It’s going to be a terrific day of performances!”
The event will raise money through ticket sales, merchandise sold at the event and concessions including the extremely popular apple crisp. The apple crisp alone requires roughly 14 volunteers and five hours of peeling, slicing and baking over two days. But the work is worth the payoff as it’s one of the most popular offerings. Toni McGee is with the Music Boosters and says it takes 300 lbs of apples and over 20 gallons of ice cream, ”This is a crowd favorite and will not disappoint. Our biggest fear is running out!” Besides the culinary services, volunteers sign up for nearly 100 different spots from directing truck traffic (each band comes with at least 2; one bus for students and one truck for equipment) to keeping the bleacher aisles clear during performances with many of them offering their entire day to the success of the event.
Other food offered will include grilled items like burgers and hotdogs. The Boosters will also have a merchandise booth set up outside the field where people can purchase Wakefield Music fleeces, scarves and t-shirts along with the new and very popular pajama pants just in time for gift-giving season!
Performances at Landrigan Field will start at 3:30 p.m. The Wakefield Warrior Marching Band will perform at 8:40 p.m. as the final competitor of the night. Awards will be announced at 9:10 p.m.