Cavalier Band Ready to March Into Macy’s National Spotlight

Over the past week, the University of Virginia’s Cavalier Marching Band has been making final preparations for Thursday’s annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, a performance that will cap off more than a year of preparation.

The week’s rehearsals mixed parade preparation with practice for the band’s halftime performances during last Saturday’s football game against Duke – featuring a special military tribute – and this Saturday’s rivalry showdown against Virginia Tech.

The Cavalier Marching Band is among the largest of the 10 bands participating in the Macy’s parade, and its 330-plus members will have to adapt to much narrower formations than they are used to, as they move from the green expanse of Scott’s Stadium’s field to the narrow streets of New York, expected to be packed with more than 3.5 million spectators.

UVA Today was on hand as the band marched through its busy week. Take a look.