by Rachel Eckerle, 500 Festival, Inc.Public Relations Intern

Castle High School’s marching band to participate in 60th annual 2016 IPL 500 Festival Parade. The 500 Festival, a nonprofit organization committed to enriching the quality of life for Indiana residents and visitors, announced the band selections for the 60th annual 500 Festival Parade. This year, 14 bands from towns across the United States will march the streets of Downtown Indianapolis during the running of the nation’s third largest parade, the IPL 500 Festival Parade. Among them is Castle High School’s Marching Knights who will perform in front of more than 300,000 spectators.
Kicking-off from Memorial Park in Downtown Indianapolis, the bands will be cheered on by an excess of 300,000 spectators lining the parade route. An additional one million viewers will witness these accomplished bands, larger-than-life floats and balloons, notable celebrities, and the 33 Indy 500 drivers from their homes while they watch the national and local broadcasts of the event on NBC Sports and WTHR.  This year, the longstanding tradition of the IPL 500 Festival Parade will rev up viewers for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 the following day.
“The 500 Festival is delighted to showcase so many talented bands at one of the nation’s premier parades produced by the 500 Festival,” said Bob Bryant, president and CEO of 500 Festival. “These bands, their members, as well as their friends and family will take part in a moment of history while we collectively celebrate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 and the 60th annual 500 Festival Parade with over a million fans.”

Other bands that will be performing in the IPL 500 Festival Parade include:

  • Beech Grove High School - Marching Hornets (Beech Grove, Ind.)
  • Ben Davis High School - Marching Giants (Indianapolis, Ind.)
  • Conant High School - Conant Marching Band (Hoffman Estates, Ill.)
  • Crestview High School Band - The Big Red Machine (Crestview, Fla.)
  • Elkhart Central High School - Crimson Charger Command (Elkhart, Ind.)
  • Gordon Pipers (Indianapolis, Ind.)
  • Hampton High School - Hampton High School Marching Band (Allison Park, Pa.)
  • Indiana National Guard - 38th Infantry Division Band
  • Indianapolis Public Schools - All City Marching Band (Indianapolis, Ind.)
  • National Band Association - Indiana All-Star Band
  • Noblesville High School - Noblesville High School Band (Noblesville, Ind.)
  • Northeastern High School Band - The Marching Knights (Fountain City, Ind.)
  • Port Huron High School - Northern Husky Marching Band (Port Huron, Mich.)
  • Purdue University - Purdue “All-American” Band (Lafayette, Ind.)
  • South Spencer High School - Marching Rebels (Rockport, Ind.)
  • Speedway High School - Speedway 500 Regiment (Speedway, Ind.)
  • Sumner High School - Spartan Marching Band (Sumner, Wash.)
  • Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps (Casper, Wyo.)

The 2016 IPL 500 Festival Parade is Saturday, May 28 at noon and will complement the 2016 theme: Experience the Celebration. Reserved bleacher seats are $15; reserved second row chair seats are $17; reserved front row chair seats are $20 and reserved VIP seats are $35.

For more information on the IPL 500 Festival Parade, go to www.500festival.com/parade.

About the 500 Festival

Founded in 1957, the 500 Festival is a not-for-profit organization that produces more than 50 life-enriching events and programs while celebrating the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500 and fostering positive impact on the city of Indianapolis and state of Indiana. One of the largest festivals in the nation, each year more than half a million people attend an event or program produced by the 500 Festival. Since its founding, the 500 Festival has contributed more than $350 million in economic value to Indianapolis. To learn more about the 500 Festival, please visit www.500festival.com, follow us on Twitter @500festival, or on Facebook.

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