Lake Charles Toyota Gulf Coast Marching Band Championship

The McNeese State University Band Program will host the Lake Charles Toyota Gulf Coast Marching Band Championship Saturday, Oct. 28, in Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles.

Gates will open at 1 p.m. and the event begins at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12.

Twenty-seven high school marching bands from Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas will participate in this year’s marching band championship.

Bands will be adjudicated by a panel of music educators from Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Pennsylvania and will receive written and recorded comments, a festival rating and overall Top 5 competitive rankings.

Participating Louisiana high schools include Barbe in Lake Charles, Benton, Central in Baton Rouge, Comeaux in Lafayette, Crowley, Delcambre, DeRidder, Iowa, Lake Arthur, Loreauville, Merryville, Morgan City, North Vermilion in Maurice, Rayne, Sam Houston in Moss Bluff, South Beauregard in Longville, Sulphur, Westlake and Woodlawn in Baton Rouge. Participating Texas high schools are Bridge City, C.E. King in Houston, Little Cypress-Mauriceville in Orange, Pasadena Memorial, Ross S. Sterling in Baytown, Sam Rayburn in Houston and South Houston. Grenada High School in Mississippi will also be competing.

The Pride of McNeese Marching Band and the Cowgirl Kickers dance team will conclude the event with exhibition performances of their pregame and halftime shows at 9:15 p.m.