The Rose Parade marching bands have arrived in Pasadena. Bandfest at PCC proves it ...Middle East

The Salesians of Don Bosco Southern California High School Marching Band performs during the Tournament of Roses Bandfest at Robinson Stadium in Pasadena City College on Sunday Dec. 29, 2024. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)

Banda de Musica Herberto Lopez Colegio Jose Daniel Crespo from Panama performs during the Tournament of Roses Bandfest at Robinson Stadium in Pasadena City College on Sunday Dec. 29, 2024. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)

The Pebble Hills High School Marching Band from El Paso, Texas performs during the Tournament of Roses Bandfest at Robinson Stadium in Pasadena City College on Sunday Dec. 29, 2024. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)

Homestead High School Marching Ban d from Cupertino performs during the Tournament of Roses Bandfest at Robinson Stadium in Pasadena City College on Sunday Dec. 29, 2024. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)

The Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band performs during the Tournament of Roses Bandfest at Robinson Stadium in Pasadena City College on Sunday Dec. 29, 2024. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)

The Salvation Army Tournament of Roses Band performs during the Tournament of Roses Bandfest at Robinson Stadium in Pasadena City College on Sunday Dec. 29, 2024. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)

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The dormant holiday grounds of Pasadena City College were alive with music Sunday afternoon, Dec. 29, as the first day of Bandfest marched onto the stage.

The 44th-annual two-day pre-Rose Parade showcase, sponsored by Remo, Inc., which donates all the ceremonial drum heads to the bands, drew a couple thousand people to Robinson Stadium.

Along with the hundreds of performers, friends and family members from around the country were on hand to hear and witness the colossal sounds of these celebrated marching bands.

The performances are unique presentations not found in the Jan. 1 Tournament of Roses parade itself. They include choreography, band configurations and arrangements one might not see in the parade. In Bandfest, the bands use the field and its surrounding track as their stage.

While there’s the traditional marching band sound, the schools use choreographed dancing, artistic backdrops, vocal chants, technology, singing and chants.

“I’m so excited,” said Martha Ruiz of Montebello, whose daughter, Isabella, is a cheerleader with the Salesians of Don Bosco Southern California High School Band.

Related: How the Rose Parade’s largest marching band is gearing up for a key moment: ‘the turn’

“She is nervous, but I think their coach got them prepared for it,” Ruiz said, with the band having put in five or six hours each day for the last two months, covering straight marches of six miles without stopping to build endurance.

“They’ve been practicing for a long time now,” she said.

Sharell Braziel of El Paso, Texas, came out to California to see his daughter, Shaniya, a flute player, take part in the parade with the Pebble Hills High School Spartan Marching Band.

“So far it’s been exciting,” he said. “We’re thankful for being here and having the opportunity.”

Along with taking part in group fundraisers, he said each child had to earn close to $900 to pay for the six-day trip, which began with 240 students coming out on six busses to Pasadena earlier this week.

“We reached out to other family members and loved ones,” Braziel said, in order to help fund the trip.

Matthew Huerta, 14, is a trumpet player with the Pebble Hills band.

“It’s a lot of hard work to achieve all this,” he said as he and his bandmates lined up to enter the field to perform.

“We started last year in July,” he said, “We’ve been practicing our music, taught to march and stuff.”

Max Sierra, band director with Pebble Hills, has been leading the way since they were first notified about their inclusion in the parade way back in July of 2023.

“We’ve been working towards this for a long time now,” he said, with the band doing smaller events and competitions to lead up to this, building their endurance and practicing performing.

“This is a big deal,” he said of the Rose Parade.

Related: Rose Parade equestrians showcase talents at Equestfest in Burbank

Sierra also spoke with appreciation about the Bandfest event itself, as it fosters community for the marching bands.

“I think it’s great bringing everyone together,” he said. “Everyone gets to see all the other groups … I came last year and watched some of the groups.”

Not everyone in attendance was directly involved with the parade. Mike Bedford of ...

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