Milton Harvest Festival Parade -- Bands!

One of the finest aspects of the Milton Harvest Festival Parade is the number and quality of bands representing different genres and communities in the region.  This is, I'm sure, a legacy of festival founder, John Yingling.  John has always been an enthusiastic supporter of the big, exciting sounds of marching bands.  As any parade organizer knows, attracting bands to the event is often quite difficult.  It's expensive for a band to travel, and ensuring that all the band members are able to attend is a logistical challenge.  But, bands galore attend the Milton Harvest Festival Parade, and I have no doubt that John Yingling played a major role in getting the bands to put Milton on their calendars year after year!  

Milton Area High School

 First up -- the hometown favorites -- the Milton Area High School Marching Band!   Here's more information about the Milton Area School District!

And cheerleaders!  Our cheerleaders this year (2013) are going to the National Competition!  GOOD LUCK!
 

We get quite a few "Highland Bands."  This is the Penn York Highlanders from Athens, pa.  Check them out here:  Penn York Highlanders

Penn York Highlanders from Athens, PA

aka -- The Ladies from Hell!

Royal Stewart tartan!

Crowd pleaser!

Here's another Highland Band!  It's the Nittany Highland Pipe Band!

Nittany Highland Pipe Band, State College, PA

The "Ancient Forbes" tartan.

Drum Major!

 Here's another high school band!  Our neighbors and rivals -- the Warrior Run High School Marching Band!  Here's more information about The Warrior Run School District!

I love how the band trucks are decorated! 

Flag team!

Percussion!  I always wanted to play tuba!

 See you in the Tomato Bowl -- Warrior Run!!  (The Tomato Bowl is the Harvest Festival high school football game!)

The Zafar Grotto Band is a perennial favorite of the Parade!  I could not find an official web page for them, but here is something for you to explore!  The Official Museum of Fezology!

You ain't got that swing if you ain't got that string!

Here is the oldest non-military band in the United States -- we love them -- the Repasz Band!

Founded in Williamsport, PA in 1831!

Here's another talented high school band -- Juniata County School District!

Here is the East Juniata High School band!  Thanks for coming!  We look forward to your participation next year!  Really, truly -- this is a special treat, for these youngsters come from quite a distance to show their school spirit here at the Harvest Festival in Milton!  Thank you again!

East Juniata!

Twirlers!

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Central Pennsylvania is home to a HUGE German heritage population.  I, myself, have quite a bit of German ancestry on both sides of my Family Tree!  So it is quite a thrill to have a German Band come to grace the Milton Harvest Festival: 

The Dansbachers from Danvile, PA

Danville is just a few miles away, and we are so lucky to have this wonderful band come to entertain us in the Milton Harvest Festival Parade!  Here is more information about the Dansbachers! 

It's like Oktoberfest in September! 

So, thank you all to the bands that came and performed for us at the Milton Harvest Festival.  And thank you to John Yingling for making sure that bands are such a wonderful part of the festivities!  My next blog will conclude my Milton Harvest Festival Parade memories, with some odds and ends I would like to share!