50TH ANNUAL JACKSON BAND FESTIVAL SET FOR OCT. 4

The 50th annual Jackson Marching Band Festival will be held Oct. 4 and includes a parade and field show.

The parade through downtown Jackson begins at 1:30 p.m. The field show at Jackson High School stadium begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the show cost $2 for adults and $1 for students.

The marching festival was started by Jackson band director Leroy Mason, who wanted to establish a non-competitive event for Southeast Missouri bands. The festival has grown so large that four events will be held this year, at Perryville, Kennett, Poplar Bluff and Jackson.

Schools that will be marching at the Jackson festival are Puxico, Scott City, Cape Girardeau Central, East Prairie, Oak Ridge, Woodland, Kelly, Bell City, Oran, Bloomfield, Chaffee, Greenville, Delta, Scott County Central, Charleston, Sikeston, and Jackson.

In case of rain, the festival will be held Oct. 11.