WATCH: Washington State Band Turns Canceled D.C. Parade Into Fort Belvoir July 4 Concert

FORT BELVOIR, VA — A high school marching band from Washington state turned the disappointment of a canceled Independence Day parade into an impromptu patriotic performance at Fort Belvoir, joining student musicians from three other states for a Fourth of July concert inside the National Museum of the United States Army.

The Chimacum High School Cowboys Band traveled more than 2,700 miles from Washington's Olympic Peninsula to participate in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C., as part of the nation's America 250 celebration. However, organizers canceled the July 4 parade because of extreme heat.

Instead, the Chimacum musicians joined students from California, Wisconsin and Florida to perform a nearly hourlong concert in the museum lobby at 1775 Liberty Drive in Fort Belvoir.

The performance began at 4 p.m. and featured about 307 student musicians.

Four High School Bands Joined Performance

The participating bands included:

• Chimacum Cowboys, Chimacum High School, Chimacum, Washington (37 students)
• Arcadia Apaches, Arcadia High School, Arcadia, California (about 150 students)
• Appleton East Patriots, Appleton East High School, Appleton, Wisconsin (70 students)
• Boca Raton Bobcats, Boca Raton Community High School, Boca Raton, Florida (50 students)

According to organizers, the concert was coordinated by representatives from the four schools, the National Museum of the United States Army, Chimacum Band Director Daniel Ferland, the Chimacum Band Boosters and U.S. Rep. Emily Randall's office.

Randall represents Washington's 6th Congressional District, which includes Chimacum and other communities on the Olympic Peninsula. Her staff helped coordinate the event after the parade was called off.

Organizers said the performance allowed the students to continue celebrating America's 250th anniversary despite the cancellation of the parade.

The Chimacum High School Cowboys Band serves a school of about 275 students in Jefferson County, Washington, and is directed by Daniel Ferland.