Strike up the bands!

Not to be tooting their own horns, but Saturday’s eighth annual Harvest Marching Band Festival will provide a vivid display of music and visual artistry, organizers say.  

Beginning at 10 a.m. at Zaepfel Stadium, 21 high school marching bands from Idaho, Washington and Oregon will compete for awards.

More than 3,000 musicians and 5,000 spectators are expected, said Forrest Fisher, contest director.

“It grows every year,” said Fisher, who, as the parent of a band student, was one of the originators of the festival in 2000. Other organizers were fellow parent Scott Adolf, Eisenhower High School band director Dave Walter and Davis High School band director Scott Goranson.

“A lot of community members are involved in organizing this, even after their kids have graduated from high school,” Fisher noted.

New this year will be a performance by a middle school band, Naches Valley Middle School.

During the high school competition, each band performs a 10-minute show, including wind and percussion musicians, flag teams, rifle squads, dance teams and more, for judging.

They’ll be competing for a grand championship trophy and placement in one of four divisions based on the size of the school and band.

The top 12 bands then compete in the finals, which begin at 6 p.m.

Locally, West Valley, Highland and Naches high school bands will be competing. As hosts of the festival, Eisenhower and Davis bands perform in exhibition.

“Every performance has a theme and tells a story,” explained Fisher. “It’s an artistic event of music and motion.”

He also noted that it’s an excellent chance to hear a wide variety of music, such as Broadway, classical, original and popular tunes.

“This is one of Washington’s premier marching band competitions,” Fisher said.

Band festival

? WHAT: Harvest Marching Band Festival
? WHEN: Beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. Preliminary competition ends at 4:30 p.m., Finals begin at 6 p.m.
? WHERE: Zaepfel Stadium, 40th Avenue and Tieton Drive.
? COST: Tickets cost $10 for adults and $7 for students and seniors. To attend the finals only, cost is $7.
? LOCAL PERFORMANCES:
• Naches Valley Middle School — 10:15 a.m.
• Highland High — 10:30 a.m.
• Naches Valley High — 11 a.m.
• Davis High — 11:45 a.m.
• Eisenhower High — 1 p.m.
• West Valley High — 4:15 p.m.