The Pensacola Christmas Parade is Saturday evening, 12/14/2024. We are 3rd in line, and the first band out!
REQUIRED Parade Practice 12/12
All BTWHS marching band students are expected to attend the parade practice on Thursday, 12/12 from 3:30 – 5:30pm.
Students are expected to treat this like the marching band rehearsal and bring a change of clothes, but please keep in mind that it may be chilly out and dress appropriately – including shoes appropriate for physical activity!
We will begin rehearsal outside and be inside before it gets dark, working on music. As with all other rehearsals, attendance counts toward student’s participation grades. Please make arrangements now to be able to attend!
Downtown will be a ZOO
Roads will be closed, some roads are one-way only, there will be thousands more people piling in than usual, whole bands, parade floats, music and noise EVERYWHERE! Please add an extra 10-20 minutes to allow you time to find parking or a drop off spot and walk time to the report location.
REPORT INFO
REPORT LOCATION:
We usually meet up on Spring Street between Garden & Romana. THIS MIGHT CHANGE ONCE WE GET OUR POSITION IN THE PARADE!. If you are dropping off your student, please do so WEST of Palafox Street. Palafox will be closed and barricaded off, so students will not be able to cross Palafox easily.
REPORT TIME:
All students must be in the report area BEFORE 4:45pm. That means you need to be downtown well before 4:45.
IF YOUR STUDENT IS DRIVING THEMSELF:
Ask them to mark their parking location in a map app or take a picture of their car with closest street signs visible. Downtown is hard to navigate during the day under ideal conditions – it’s SO much harder on a parade night, especially for someone that only goes downtown for parades. It’s easier to help them find their car if the street signs are visible in the picture!
WEAR:
Wind & percussion students will wear their fall uniform:
- “I’m with the band” shirt
- Band pullover
- Band track pants
- Tall black socks
- Black marching shoes
- A festive holiday hat/headgear: santa hat, reindeer antlers, menorah headband, etc. Students must provide this themselves.
Auxiliary students will wear:
- Jersey uniforms. Ms. Britt will update you closer to time regarding changes if it’s going to be cold out.
- A festive holiday hat/headgear: santa hat, reindeer antlers, menorah headband, etc. Students must provide this themselves.
DECORATIONS:
Students may decorate their instruments/equipment with holiday decorations (wrapping paper, ornaments, lights, etc.) as long as it does not prevent them from playing!
DO NOT USE ANYTHING THAT WILL GUNK UP YOUR INSTRUMENT! School owned instrument players will pay to have tape residue or glue removed from their instrument!
AFTERWARD
Bands leave the parade route by turning WEST onto Zaragoza Street (floats/trucks continue up to turn on. They will be released from band director supervision at Zaragoza St. and Baylen St next to the county courthouse. Please make plans NOW with your students where you plan to meet to pick them up because it will be CHAOS!
Parade Route Map:
Please click to download a PDF map: