VERO BEACH — The time of year has come again for the Crown Jewel Marching Festival. Started in 1981, the festival is entering its 32nd year of existence, making it one of the oldest, continuously running high school marching band festivals in Florida.
Onlookers can expect to see between 15 and 20 different marching bands coming from all corners of Florida at this year’s event. Each band will be performing their 6 to 10 minute marching show whilst being comprehensively scored by the panel of judges.
“We are looking forward to the festival this year. The vast array of marching bands who come to represent their schools blows us away every year. It’s a joy to get to support marching bands in our state. If you like band music, Crown Jewel will give you everything you could ever want right in your own backyard,” said James Sammons, Head Director of the Vero Beach High School Band.
This year proves to be a year of change for the festival. Along with a new lineup of judges, including head commentator Dr. Debra Traficante, Assistant Director of University Bands at the University of Oklahoma, there is a plethora of judges ranging from college music professors and high school music educators to members of the Florida Bandmasters Association.
There have also been repairs to the facilities, including improvements to many features of the stadium.
The judging system is also getting an upgrade. There is now, among many things, a Drum Major camera with judge commentary and a Drumline camera with commentary.
Crown Jewel will be held on Oct. 19 starting with the preliminary competition that goes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The finals will start at 6:45 p.m. and go until 9:30 p.m.
The competition will be held at the Citrus Bowl at Billy Livings Field, 1607 16th St. in Vero Beach.
Ticket prices are as follows: All day adult – $12, Finals adult – $10, Youth ticket (6-12 years) – $6, and 5 and under are free. Tickets will be available at the gate. Online ticketing will be available shortly.
For more information about the history, award system, directions, judges, or anything else, please visit the website at www.CrownJewelVB.com.