BREAKING NEWS
The 2010 Great Lakes Festival will be held on July 4, 2010!
The Kilties will be returning!! We’ll reveal more bands/drum corps as we get closer!
Great Lakes Marching Band Festival 2010
Every summer, the Emerald Knights host the Great Lakes Marching Band Festival in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
This year, 11 bands and drum corps traveled to our city to perform for a packed house at Ameche Field. We are currently making plans for our 2010 Festival!
Posted 7 months ago at 1:51 pm. Add a comment
Mark your calendars!
The 2009 Great Lakes Marching Band Festival will be held on July 5, 2009!
Tickets are $8 and the gates to Ameche Field open at 5pm.
The schedule is as follows:
6:00pm Opening Ceremony
6:20pm Janesville Green Beret (Janesville, WI)
6:37pm Saskatoon Lions (Saskatoon, Canada)
6:54pm Edmonton Sabers (Edmonton, Canada)
7:11pm Renegade Regiment (Sandwich, IL)
7:28pm Lighthouse Brigade (Racine, WI)
7:45pm Sound of Sun Prairie (Sun Prairie, WI)
8:02pm Shadow Armada (Oregon, WI)
** BREAK **
8:30pm CYO Emerald Knights
8:47pm Racine Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps (Racine, WI)
9:04pm Revolution Drum and Bugle Corps (San Antonio, TX)
9:21pm Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps (Milwaukee, WI)
9:38pm Kilties Drum and Bugle Corps (Racine, WI)
Posted 1 year ago at 11:11 am. Add a comment
Marching bands go head-to-head at festival
From the Kenosha News, July 7, 2008
Story by Megan Schmidt
A sole cloud hung overhead during the Great Lakes Marching Band Festival Sunday evening, after it was postponed last Wednesday because of stormy weather.
Which is a good thing, because after the event’s 15 year absence, attendees were anticipating its return.
“Kenosha made a big mistake by not continuing this,” said Martha Lucas of Pleasant Prairie, 68, who watched the event countless times as her children and grandchildren participated in local marching bands.
The four bands that went head-to-head displaying their skills with mechanical grace were the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Band of Kenosha, the Shadow Armada of Oregon, Wis., the Lighthouse Brigade of Racine, and the Sandwich Renegade Regiment from Sandwich, Ill.
Shadow Armada swept first place, with Renegade Regiment following second, and Lighthouse Brigade taking home third place. The people’s choice award, which is chosen by the audience, was given to the Lighthouse Brigade.
The festival enjoyed a 50 year run until the 1990’s, but was halted because of scant participation from Kenosha Unified School District students and scheduling conflicts among regional bands, according to Doug Johnson, former president of the Mid-America Competing Band Directors Association (MACBDA).
But the event was successfully resurrected this year.
“Because of the history associated with the Great Lakes Marching Band Festival, we felt people could relate to it and that it was a great thing to bring back for the community,” said Matt Garza, director of the CYO Band.
For many attendees that frequented the event before in years’ past, Sunday brought back memories.
“I came here years ago and I missed the experience. It brings people together under this great sky … and it supports young people in a healthy way,” Rachel Bradbury said.
Nick Lane, director of the Shadow Armada, stressed the event is not about competition, but about camaraderie.
“It’s more about it being a positive activity for kids, it teaches the students so much outside of music,” he said.
Any marching band can qualify for the competition, but bands must be a part of MACBDA and perform on a field. Marching bands have become somewhat of a rarity, Lane added.
However, locals appeared to remember and embrace the summer tradition.
“It’s a total landmark to have it return to Kenosha, and the show ran superbly,” Lane added.
The big question remaining is if locals can enjoy the event next year.
Carol Felgenhauer, a Catholic Youth Organization board member, sure hoped so.
“We’re definitely having this every year and we’re thrilled,” she said.