Mid-Iowa Band Championship

On Saturday, Oct. 15, the Ankeny Marching Hawks will host twenty-three bands at the Mid Iowa Band Championships.  This marching band contest will start at 4 p.m. and will feature marching bands from Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota.  The event will be held in the stadium located at 1302 N. Ankeny Blvd.

“I am very excited about the quality of bands participating in the Mid Iowa Band Championships this year,” said Darin Haack, director of bands at Ankeny High School. “For most of these bands, it will be their last contest of the season.  Many bands consider their performance at the Mid Iowa Band Championships to be the best and most memorable of the year.  The thousands of students performing have put in many hours of rehearsal to prepare for the event.”

The opening ceremonies for the competition will include a performance of the Star Spangled Banner by all of the 6th-12th grade band students in the Ankeny district. This performance of over 750 musicians will be a great start to a night of exciting music.

Gates will open at 3:30 PM, and tickets will be available at the stadium ticket booth. Admission for adults is $9 and admission for students is $5.

Competing bands include Des Moines Christian, Prairie City Monroe, Eddyville Blakesburg, Benton Community, Carlisle, Saydel, Western Dubuque, Dallas Center Grimes, Charles City, Williamsburg, North Polk, Bondurant Farrar, Norwalk, Winterset, Oskaloosa, Pella, Andover MN, Davenport Central, West Des Moines Valley, Newton, Dowling Catholic, Waterloo West, and Sioux Falls Washington SD.  The contest will conclude with a performance by the Ankeny Marching Hawks.

For more information about the Mid Iowa Band Championships, including a schedule of bands, please visit the Ankeny band’s website at http://www.ankenybands.com.