DENVER — A celebration of music and talent is expected to take center stage at MSU Denver's King Center Concert Hall on Saturday, March 8.
The inaugural event is expected to bring together several community bands across the Front Range to deliver free performances for the audience to enjoy.
"We'll have a band every hour, so we'll have a rotation throughout the day," Michael Snodgrass, with the Thornton Community Band told Denver7.
Snodgrass organized the event and said this festival is also a chance for these musicians to come together and hear each other perform and give a sense of camaraderie.
"Years ago, about 14 years ago, Metro State University held a wind ensemble festival and there were high school bands involved and community bands, as well. I thought, 'I think it's time to have another one,'" said Snodgrass.
Work to plan the event started in September 2024, when Snodgrass said he invited community bands to join in for the festival. For Saturday's performance, seven bands answered the call.
"Each band is playing about three to four songs themselves," said Thornton Community Band President Anne Kleve. "Being able to come to one central location for one full day of music and lots of different concerts, you get exposed to different bands, different sizes, different genres. You can come to one place and hear all of them and just spend the whole day enjoying music," said Kleve.
Here is a list of performances and start times:
- 9 a.m. — Rocky Mountain Pride Bands
- 10 a.m. — Thornton Community Band
- 11 a.m. — Highlands Ranch Community Band
- 12 p.m. — Boulder Concert Band
- 2 p.m. — Colorado Wind Ensemble & Colorado Brass (this is a ticketed event)
- 4 p.m. — The VFW Band of Colorado
- 5 p.m. — John Philip Sousa Band of Colorado
Snodgrass said all performance are free, except for the 2 p.m. event where tickets are available for purchase.
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