Perry High marching band will bring Georgia pride to Sugar Bowl parade. How to watch
Perry High School’s marching band will be taking center stage in New Orleans in less than two weeks, representing the Houston County School District.
The Panther Regiment Marching Band will perform in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Parade in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve. The marching band is the only high school from Georgia that will be participating in the televised event.
Band director Rob Ingram, an alumnus of Perry High now in his fourth year leading the program, said the band was invited unexpectedly with no formal application process.
“The parade director reached out to us around this time last year and said, ‘Hey, we’ve seen the band. You’re exactly what we’re looking for in this event,” he said. “We very quickly said yes.”
John Sudsbury, vice president of communications for the Allstate Sugar Bowl, confirmed Perry High School is the only Georgia high school band in the parade. The University of Georgia’s Redcoat Marching Band will also participate.
Featuring vibrant floats and bands in downtown New Orleans, the parade serves as a Mardi Gras-style kickoff to the Sugar Bowl, held annually on New Year’s Day. This year’s game, which is part of the College Football Playoff will be between the University of Georgia and the winner of a first-round game between Ole Miss and Tulane University.
The Panther Regiment will also perform in the Sugar Bowl Battle of the Bands Marching Field Show Competition. For the field show, the band will present its competitive performance, “CarnEvil,” which begins as a traditional carnival but includes twists and turns, Ingram said.
Ingram noted the band’s performance in the parade will be evaluated. Parade selections from the group will feature strong cadences from the drumline and pop songs, he added.
The trip marks a rare appearance for the marching band, which has more than 100 students. Ingram said many students have not traveled far, and performing for this opportunity has energized rehearsals past the usual band season.
“Band has taken me all over the country. Many of the kids had never even been to Atlanta, and now we have the opportunity to go somewhere where we’ll be on national stage and on live national TV,” he said. “It is a really cool opportunity that I’m glad that we’re able to provide.”
Ingram added that students have shown strong dedication for this unique moment in a city with rich musical history.
“They’re here with a common goal of making sure that we’re being as good as we can be for this opportunity,” he said. “These kids put in so much time and hard work into what they do, and it’s never for any reason other than they love each other and the love for music.”
Ingram noted that community has heavily contributed to the band’s performance in the Crescent City. The five-day, four-night trip costs about $140,000, he said. Community support, sponsorships and booster-led fundraisers helped offset expenses, as the band raised roughly $40,000.
“It’s really special to see how the community has opened their arms and done whatever they could to make sure these kids could go on this trip,” he said.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl New Year’s Parade, presented by Louisiana Tourism, will include a live online broadcast that can be found by visiting wgno.com.