The Valencia High School Marching Band participated in a two-mile Saint Patrick’s Day event in New York, which is the oldest and largest parade in the western hemisphere, officials said.  

The Valencia High School Marching Band, led by band director Mark Judd, with over 40 members of the award-winning marching band, performed in the historic New York City 2019 St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 16th.

“You could feel the energy in the air as we proceeded down 5th Avenue,” Judd said. “The parade route was over two miles long with infrequent stops. The students performed with excellence and exuberance throughout the route. I could not be prouder of them.”

The band marched down 5th Avenue between the Emerald Society Pipe Band Color Guard and the Westchester County Firefighters Emerald Society Pipe Band, according to officials.

Since 1762, the New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival is said to be the oldest and largest parade in the western hemisphere. With more than 150,000 participants marching in the parade and more than two million spectators lining the streets of 5th Avenue.

“A unique aspect of the parade is that all participants are on foot. Everyone marches, including civic groups, dignitaries and of course the bands,” according to officials.

There are no floats, no motorized vehicles, no balloons.

For this reason, the committee says marching bands are the most important part of the parade because they set the pace and provide a cadence for the march, according to officials.

Students are able to participate in these memorable events through fundraising and parent support to raise money for travel, rental instruments, hotel rooms, and meals.

“We encourage Santa Clarita Valley businesses and the community to visit our fundraising page to see how they can be part of the support for music education,” Judd said.  

For more information, or to donate for events like this one, click here.

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