The Hendrickson High School Hawk Band will be coming to a TV near you on Thanksgiving Day as it marches in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
The Hendrickson band is one of 10 bands chosen to march in the parade for its musical and entertainment ability as well as marching and performance skills, according to the Pflugerville school district.
Students flew to New York on Sunday and have visited Radio City Music Hall, Time Square, Ellis Island, a Broadway performance of “Aladdin” and other Big Apple attractions, according to the band’s itinerary. A total of 353 students and 59 adults with eight tour guides are set to explore the Big Apple.
On Thanksgiving Day, students will be up before sunrise for one more rehearsal before the parade.
Students will leave their hotel at 2:30 a.m., pick up their instruments and begin a rehearsal around 4 a.m. After a 5 a.m. breakfast, the band will arrive at the parade starting point at 7:30 a.m. to await the start of the parade at 9 a.m.
The opportunity to march in the parade is the product of a group effort of students, former students, teachers, the school and the district, said band director Garth Gundersen in a video produced by the school district.
“The Hawk Band students are obviously going to get a trip of a lifetime,” he said. “Not just the trip but to have the memories of marching in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is a part of the Thanksgiving tradition for everybody, every year.”
About the Author
