Marching Festival Information
Competition format including prelims and finals, for bands in classification 1A-4A.
5A & 6A bands may enter as non-competing bands for critiques and video of prelims only.
Scheduling priority will be given to 1A-4A competing bands.
We are offering your band a quality competition atmosphere, excellent judge critiques from those who are familiar with small school bands, and the opportunity for priority scheduling of a future clinic with one of our Blinn College directors.
Contest Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025
Deadline for Entry Form: Monday, August 25, 2025
Deadline for Payment: Friday, September 19, 2025
Location: Artificial turf field at Brenham I.S.D Cub Stadium, 1600 E. Tom Green St., Brenham, TX 77833
Entry Fee:
$375 for schools outside of the Blinn College Service Area
$325 for schools in the Blinn College Service Area
Blinn College Service Area Shaded in Blue or Yellow
Sample Band Schedule:
- 30 minutes: Warm-up by Brenham Middle School across from stadium
- 10 minutes: Walk to field from warm-up area
- 5 minutes: Entry to field
- 10 minutes: Performance of contest program (8 minutes or less) and exit field (2 minutes)
PRELIM performances will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude with a performance by the Blinn Buccaneer Band at 3:45 p.m. Awards and Finals Bands Announcement will be made at 4:30 p.m.
FINALS performances will begin at 6:30 p.m. Finals Awards will be announced at 9:30 p.m.
SCHEDULING will be done through Outlook Booking. In the entry form, click the link provided to schedule your Preliminary Performance time. Please be sure and submit this at the time you submit your entry form. IMPORTANT: ensure that the date SEPTEMBER 27, 2025 is selected when making your booking using the link. Your warm-up time will begin 45 minutes before your selected performance time. A confirmation email will come from Jill Stewart within 5 business days of your booking.
SCORES are not announced but are listed on the judges’ comment sheets. We will be using CAPTION judging for prelims and finals.
Total number of bands will be limited to 20. The bands ranked in the top half (number depending on entries) will have the opportunity to advance to finals.
STADIUM CLOCK - WILL be used to allow bands to rehearse their entrance to the field, set up, and field exit in preparation for UIL marching contests.
COMMENT SHEETS will be available for pick-up within 30 minutes after your performance in the press box. Enter the press box from the door on the SOUTH end, and please do not enter the press box during a performance.
VIDEO OF PERFORMANCE(S) will be included in your results materials and/or will be shared via Google Drive within 24 hours of the contest end.
ADMISSION for the contest is $5 for spectators. Admission is free for age 12 and under. Band directors will be sent free passes for their staff, band members, and chaperones.
RESTROOMS are available at the stadium ONLY. The Middle School and Junior High will NOT be open for restroom use.
ELECTRICAL OUTLET is available at the 50 yd. line under the stands. BRING YOUR OWN EXTENSION CORD.
RAIN DELAYS – Monitors will relay information from the press box, however, the contest will run without pause barring extreme weather conditions. The field is Astroturf and will not hold water. If a delay is necessary due to lightning, we will resume the contest as soon as possible and make announcements from the press box and via REMIND test messages to directors as information is available.
CONCESSION STAND will be available during the contest. You will receive information about meal deals after your entry.
1A-4A AWARDS PRESENTATIONS – We ask that drum majors and/or designated students of participating bands line up on the front sideline at the conclusion of prelims and finals. Please let us know if your band will leave before the awards presentation.
PRELIM AWARDS:
- Outstanding band in each classification 1A-4A.
- Caption Awards for drum major, drumline, color guard, soloist.
FINALS AWARDS: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place overall
A complete list of contest awards and scores will be emailed to all participating band directors the week after the contest.
UNLOADING STUDENTS/EQUIPMENT AND PARKING:
BUSES: Buses will park at the Brenham Junior High parking lot accessed from Tom Green Street. Stadium parking will be used for spectator vehicles.
You have TWO choices for unloading students:
- Before parking, unload students in the designated area (ONE-WAY-DRIVE) near warm-up #1 & #2. The entrance to this driveway is on Niebuhr Street. There will be faculty and student monitors there to meet you. After buses have unloaded the students near the Warm-Up areas, they will proceed through the driveway and turn left onto 577. They will then proceed to the light at Tom Green Street and turn left onto Tom Green. They will enter the junior high driveway, which is past the stadium parking entrance. There will be a faculty or student monitor there to meet you and direct you to your parking space.
- Go directly to the Bus Parking lot at Brenham Junior High and unload there to allow for a bathroom visit at the stadium before walking around the stadium to the warm-up areas. Please designate such in the logistics form that will be sent to you after your entry is received.
EQUIPMENT TRUCKS: Parking is in the Blue Bell Aquatic Center parking lot, entering from Tom Green Street. Unload in the Blue Bell Aquatic Center parking lot. There will be a faculty or student monitor there to meet you. Pit warm-up areas are on the northwest side of the Boys and Girls Club which is adjacent to the Aquatic Center parking lot.
STUDENTS: A faculty or student monitor will be at the warm-up area and/or bus parking lot to greet you as you unload the bus. Once students have unloaded, the monitor will lead the band to their assigned warm-up area. Warm-up areas are marked.
WARM-UP AREAS: #1 & #2 are outside and located adjacent to Brenham Middle School ( see map ).
- Please honor the warm-up & performance schedule as listed. Be courteous to the time of the group following you. There will be faculty and student monitors at the warm-up site to watch your time and let you know when to move to the stadium. There is a 10-minute interval to move to the stadium.
- NOTE the stadium map for entry/exit. Band members and pit equipment enter from the WEST side of the stadium (visitor). Pit equipment exits from the same gate. Band members exit through the gate on the EAST side of the stadium (home).
- Please have your band as well as any speakers faced AWAY from the stadium in order to minimize bleed over of sound to the contest area.
- If your drumline warms up separately from your winds, they must stay on the opposite side of the Middle School to minimize bleed over.
- Restrooms are NOT available at the warm-up areas. Restrooms are available at the stadium only.
Prelim Tentative Schedule:
| Warm-Up Area | Warm-Up | Enter Field | Pre-Lim Performance | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLOCK A | ||||
| 1 | 8:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. | 9:25 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | Band 1 |
| 2 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | 9:40 a.m. | 9:45 a.m. | Band 2 |
| 1 | 9:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. | 9:55 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. | Band 3 |
| 2 | 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | 10:10 a.m. | 10:15 a.m. | Band 4 |
| 1 | 9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. | 10:25 a.m. | 10:30 a.m. | Band 5 |
| JUDGES' BREAK | (15 min) | |||
| BLOCK B | ||||
| 1 | 10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | 10:55 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. | Band 6 |
| 2 | 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | 11:10 a.m. | 11:15 a.m. | Band 7 |
| 1 | 10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. | 11:25 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. | Band 8 |
| 2 | 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | 11:40 a.m. | 11:45 a.m. | Band 9 |
| 1 | 11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. | 11:55 a.m. | 12:00 p.m | Band 10 |
| JUDGES' BREAK | (45 min) | |||
| BLOCK C | ||||
| 1 | 12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m | 12:55 p.m | 1:00 p.m | Band 11 |
| 2 | 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m | 1:10 p.m | 1:15 p.m | Band 12 |
| 1 | 12:45 p.m. - 1:15 p.m | 1:25 p.m | 1:30 p.m | Band 13 |
| 2 | 1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m | 1:40 p.m | 1:45 p.m | Band 14 |
| 1 | 1:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m | 1:55 p.m | 2:00 p.m | Band 15 |
| JUDGES' BREAK | (15 min) | |||
| BLOCK D | ||||
| 1 | 1:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m | 2:25 p.m | 2:30 p.m | Band 16 |
| 2 | 2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m | 2:40 p.m | 2:45 p.m | Band 17 |
| 1 | 2:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m | 2:55 p.m | 3:00 p.m | Band 18 |
| 2 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m | 3:10 p.m | 3:15 p.m | Band 19 |
| 1 | 2:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m | 3:25 p.m | 3:30 p.m | Band 20 |
| 2 | 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m | 3:40 p.m | 3:45 p.m | Blinn Buccaneer Marching Band Exhibition Performance |
| Track | 4:30 p.m | Finals Announcements and Awards |
Finals Tentative Schedule:
| Warm-Up Area | Warm-Up | Enter Field | FINALS Performance | Band |
| 1 | 5:45-6:15 p.m. | 6:25 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. | Finals Band 1 |
| 2 | 6:00-6:30 p.m. | 6:40 p.m. | 6:45 p.m. | Finals Band 2 |
| 1 | 6:15-6:45 p.m. | 6:55 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. | Finals Band 3 |
| 2 | 6:30-7:00 p.m. | 7:10 p.m. | 7:15 p.m. | Finals Band 4 |
| 1 | 6:45-7:15 p.m. | 7:25 p.m. | 7:30 p.m. | Finals Band 5 |
| JUDGES' BREAK | (15 min) | |||
| 1 | 7:15-7:45 p.m. | 7:55 p.m. | 8:00 p.m. | Finals Band 6 |
| 2 | 7:30-8:00 p.m. | 8:10 p.m. | 8:15 p.m. | Finals Band 7 |
| 1 | 7:45-8:15 p.m. | 8:25 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. | Finals Band 8 |
| 2 | 8:00-8:30 p.m. | 8:40 p.m. | 8:45 p.m. | Finals Band 9 |
| 1 | 8:15-8:45 p.m. | 8:55 p.m. | 9:00 p.m. | Finals Band 10 |
| Track | Approx. 9:30 p.m. | AWARDS |
In case of questions or emergencies on the day of the contest please contact any of the following. We will be available in the press box throughout the contest.
- Jill Stewart
Instrumental Music Coordinator/Contest Director
(979) 251-2706 - Dr. Sarah Burke
Director of Bands, Professor of Percussion
(979) 337-4644 - Dr. Carnell Simmons
Assistant Director of Bands
(979) 551-0316