VERO BEACH — On Saturday, Oct. 19, the Citrus Bowl Stadium at Vero Beach High School will come alive with high school musicians from Florida’s top high school bands performing their halftime and competition shows in the 32nd Annual Treasure Coast Crown Jewel Marching Band Festival.
This annual gathering of some of the finest high school bands in Florida is presented in a preliminary and finals format. The Preliminary Competition begins at 10 a.m., and the Finals Competition begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for both prelims and finals.
Tickets for the Finals Competition are only $10 per person per adult, $6 for a youth ticket, but 5 and under are free.
It is a family friendly event on the beautiful campus of Vero Beach High School. Tickets are sold at the Stadium Gate, located at 1707 16th St.
The Crown Jewel Band Festival is sponsored jointly by the Vero Beach High School Band and the Fighting Indians Band Boosters. Formed over 30 years ago by VBHS Band Director Jim Sammons and Mr. Gordon Popple, former Assistant Principal and Director of Community Education, the Crown Jewel Band Festival is one of the oldest and most successful of its kind in Florida.
The festival requires many dozens of volunteers from the booster organization, community, band alumni, and current band members. These volunteers manage and work every aspect of the logistics of the festival from bus parking, concessions, guiding bands around the campus and stadium, ushering, and ticketing, to name just a few of the dozens of tasks that are staffed on festival day.
“The festival requires many hours of planning and lots of meetings. It brings together a large contingent of boosters, community volunteers, and of course, our Fighting Indians Band members work all day and then perform at the very end of the finals,” explained Jim Sammons, VBHS Band Director.
“We are looking forward to another great festival and encourage the public to support the fine talents and efforts of these amazing young musicians,” Sammons said.
Profits from the festival benefit the operations of the Vero Beach High School Band.
For more information, please visit the Crown Jewel Festival website at www.CrownJewelVB.com.