FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — From the musicians marching along to the performers twirling flags and following in their footsteps, bands from 24 Central Valley schools got to compete in front of ecstatic crowds at the Big Fresno Fair on Wednesday.
“We look at music performance, movement performance, percussion elements, color guard twirlers,” said Fresno State Band Director Steve McKeithen, who led the Big Band Review’s panel of judges.
The reigning champs at Burton Middle School came out on top again in the Middle School category, earning $1,250 for their program.
Dinuba High School took home the Big Band Review’s largest trophy and check, $1,500, as the “Sweepstakes” winner for the fourth year in a row.
“It feels amazing!” said Dinuba High senior Kendra Gonzalez immediately after the win.
Organizers say the nonprofit foundation Friends of the Big Fresno Fair raised the prize money.
But the money isn’t the only reason people showed up.
For some supporters, marching band is a family affair.
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“My oldest son came into the band. Then my youngest son joined after he left the band. And then my nieces came into the band. And so, we’ve been doing marching band for about 16 years,” said Leanne Zuniga, who was at the event supporting her nephew, a student at Washington Intermediate School in Dinuba.
Zuniga was in her high school’s marching band, and she says it builds character whether you win or lose.
“Part of it is the growth and the discipline,” she said. “They learn how to take the wins, and they learn how to take the losses. And they grow and become more mature.”
This was the fair’s 15th annual Band Review.
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