Missouri State University’s Pride band will host the 51st annual OZARKO Marching Band Festival this Saturday, October 14.
High School bands from several states will showcase their hard work during the competition. The event will begin at 9 a.m. at MSU's Plaster Stadium. Twenty-nine local and regional high school bands from surrounding states like Oklahoma and Kansas as well as Missouri are expected to compete.
John Sullivan, color guard director and member of the senior band staff at MSU, said the event is an important recruiting tool for the university.
“We have a lot of students that actually make the choice to come to Missouri State after attending this event and seeing not just the Pride Band perform but also the facilities that we have to offer and the beautiful campus we have,” said Sullivan.
The festival is projected to bring roughly 2,000 high school band members and 5,000 spectators to MSU. The public is invited to watch, but tickets are required.
