Last Updated on March 27, 2019 by cassnetwork
INDIANAPOLIS – The 500 Festival, a nonprofit organization providing life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500®, has selected 14 marching bands from across the U.S. to perform in the 63rd annual IPL 500 Festival Parade, on Saturday, May 25 in downtown Indianapolis.
On the day before the Indianapolis 500, these 14 nationally recognized bands will march the streets of downtown Indianapolis for one of the nation’s largest parades, the IPL 500 Festival Parade. The selected marching bands will perform for more than 300,000 spectators lining the 2 mile parade route. An additional one million TV viewers from around the country will tune in to the IPL 500 Festival Parade’s national broadcast on NBC Sports and Indianapolis market broadcast on WTHR, Channel 13.
Band Line Up for the 2019 IPL 500 Festival Parade:
- 38th Infantry Division Band, Indiana National Guard
- Centerville Blue Regiment, Centerville High School (Centerville, Ind.)
- Clearfield High School Bison Band, Clearfield High School (Clearfield, Penn.)
- Indiana All-Star Marching Band, National Band Association
- Indianapolis Public Schools All City Marching Band (Indianapolis)
- Lafayette Jefferson Marching Broncos, Lafayette Jefferson High School(Lafayette, Ind.)
- Marching Giants, Ben Davis High School (Indianapolis)
- The Lewis Cass Marching Kings, Lewis Cass High School (Walton, Ind.)
- Whitehall Yearling Marching Ram Band, Whitehall Yearling High School (Whitehall, Oh.)
- “All-American” Marching Band, Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.)
- “All-American” Alumni Marching Band, Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.)
- Speedway 500 Regiment, Speedway High School (Speedway, Ind.)
- The Pride of DeSoto Central, DeSoto Central High School (Southaven, Miss.)
- Fishers High School Tiger Band, Fishers High School (Fishers, Ind.)
“The 500 Festival is excited to showcase these talented bands as a part of the 2019 IPL 500 Festival Parade, a race weekend tradition shared by thousands of families” said Bob Bryant, president and CEO of 500 Festival. “These bands will fill the streets of Indianapolis with music as spectators celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500.
One of the original events produced by the 500 Festival, the IPL 500 Festival Parade is one of the nation’s premier parades, alongside the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The 2019 IPL 500 Festival Parade will be held on Saturday, May 25, the day before the Indianapolis 500, and will be themed Your Tradition Is Waiting In Our Own Brickyard. Spectators will experience the spectacle of the Indy 500 as massive floats and enormous helium balloons light up the skyline of downtown Indianapolis as celebrities, marching bands, patriotic units and specialty units fill the streets to celebrate the world’s largest single-day sporting event. The tradition continues with the 33 starting drivers of the Indianapolis 500 riding in traditional rows of three, led by 2019 Grand Marshal is NTT Indy Car team owner and philanthropist, Sam Schmidt.
The 2019 IPL 500 Festival Parade will take place on Saturday, May 25. Parade festivities will start at 11:45 am ET in downtown Indianapolis. IPL 500 Festival Parade tickets are now for sale and can be purchased at 500festival.com/tickets, by calling (317) 614-6400, or at the 500 Festival Ticket Office, located at 21 Virginia Ave. in Downtown Indianapolis. The Ticket Office is open on weekdays from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm.
For more information about the IPL 500 Festival Parade, please visit 500festival.com/parade or search #IPL500Parade on social media.
About the 500 Festival
Founded in 1957, the 500 Festival is a not-for-profit organization that produces more than 50 life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500 and foster a positive impact on the city of Indianapolis and state of Indiana. One of the largest festivals in the nation, each year more than half a million people attend an event or program produced by the 500 Festival. Since its founding, the 500 Festival has contributed more than $400 million in economic value to Indianapolis. To learn more about the 500 Festival, please visit www.500festival.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
SOURCE: News release from 500 Festival