The Prairie View A&M Marching Storm has been selected to perform in the 2017 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, representing the University and the State of Texas. This will mark the first Parade appearance by the band. The Marching Storm will join the Parade to the call of Let’s Have a Parade, the iconic phrase that has signaled the start of every Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1924.
Each year, the Macy’s Parade Band Committee looks for bands that have the stage presence, musical and marching abilities to captivate more than 3.5 million live spectators and more than 50 million viewers. The Marching Storm was selected from 175 applicants as one of 10 bands to march in the 2017 edition of the annual holiday spectacle. The band will join the revelry along with other iconic Macy’s staples: floats, giant character balloons, clowns and superstar performers galore on Thanksgiving Day 2017, helping to create an unforgettable experience for millions. [lasso align=”right” cart=”y” identifier=”B00Q0D1C2G” locale=”US” tag=”hbcusports-20″ ref=”amzn-college-flags-and-banners-co-prairie-view-am-panthers-garden-flag” type=”single” id=”71912″ link_id=”4764″]
“New York audiences expect musical acts with big sound and incredible energy on Thanksgiving morning,” said Wesley Whatley, creative director for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Macy’s Band Selection Committee is confident our crowds will be blown away in 2017 as we proudly introduce the Big Apple to the Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm!”
”We are thrilled to have this opportunity to showcase our band and represent the State of Texas at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2017. Our students and band staff are excited that we will get to perform for a national – even international- audience. They have worked hard all year and this is certainly a culminating event to a great year for our program,” explained Dr. Timmey Zachery, Assistant Professor and Band Director.
The Marching Storm will spend the next 18 months planning for their Parade appearance. Rehearsals and creative fundraising events not only bring the school and the community closer but also prepare the students for the march of a lifetime.
For more than eight decades, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has given thanks to what Macy’s values most –- its loyal fans. More than 5,000 Macy’s employees and dedicated volunteers work tirelessly to create a spectacular event that entertains the cheerful crowds and provides joy to millions at home watching on Thanksgiving Day. Stretching down a more than two-mile-long route in New York City, the spectacle is alive with gleaming color, music and smiles.
Courtesy: Prairie View A&M
