Athens High School is hosting a state judged invitational, and twelve bands will compete
Instead of only allowing the band fourteen minutes of glory during the halftime show, Athens High School is dedicating a whole day to the instruments that take the field on Friday nights.
Athens High School is hosting its 40th annual Athens Invitational Marching Festival at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Athens High School’s Scott Riggs and Family Stadium. It’s the second longest running marching band festival in Ohio, and will include 12 bands from various parts of Ohio, and one band from West Virginia.
“We have twelve bands coming together to be judged,” said Wendy Merb-Brown, treasurer of The Athens Downtown Kiwanis Club. “It is a state-judged event so bands that do well can actually go to state if they score at a certain level.”
The day includes bands of various rankings and a variety of routines and styles. Some bands are returning to Athens for the annual competition.
The West Virginian band, Marching Rebels of Ritchie County, are coming to Athens for the first time.
“We’ve competed in about three competitions so far,” Scott Tignor, director of bands at Ritchie County High School, said. “We typically practice about eight hours a week and have been working since the last week of July.”
The band’s show is a steampunk show. The members of the band act like steam-powered dolls that come alive during the performance, Tignor said.
The Franklin Heights Golden Falcon Marching Band is returning to Athens for the first time since 2010 and are playing a show focusing on jazz music and the theme of rhythm, Mark Fox, director of instrumental music, said.
They compete in many competitions, but enjoy returning to Athens. The band welcomes the chance to compete against the Hilliard Darby High School Marching Band, a larger neighboring band, Fox said.
The invitational is sponsored by the Athens Band Boosters, the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Athens and the Chauncey-Dover Lions Club.
All proceeds from the event go toward the instrumental music program of the Athens Public School System and local community service projects with the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Athens and the Chauncey-Dover Lions Club.
The day will also include a concession stand by the Athens Booster Club, and band jewelry will be sold, Merb-Brown said.
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