BOA Grand Nationals Schedule

Our final competition of the marching season will be the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana Thursday, November 13 through Saturday, November 15.  Our schedule is as follows:

Thursday

6:45 a.m. – Arrive to the high school to load and for bag inspection

8:00 a.m. – Depart high school

10:00 - 10:30 a.m.’ish’ – Stop for rest room break

12:30 - 2:30 p.m.’ish’ – Stop at Main Event for lunch provided (students may want money for activities)

4:00 - 4:30 p.m.’ish’ – Stop for restroom break

6:30 – 8:00 p.m. –LOCAL TIME Stop at Kona Grill for dinner provided

8:30 p.m – Arrive at the Best Western, unload, check-in, and report to rooms for inspection

10:00 p.m. – Lights Out

Friday

6:00 a.m. – Wake up, get ready (change into uniform), and eat breakfast provided at the hotel

7:45 a.m. – Load the bus

7:50 a.m. – Depart hotel

8:30 a.m. – Arrive at Lucas Oil Stadium, check-in, park, and unload trailer

9:20 a.m. – Enter the Tunnel to the stadium

9:30-10:15 a.m. – Band Warm-up (different schedules for different sections TBA)

10:20 a.m. – Band report to gate

10:30 a.m. – WILDCAT PRIDE MARCHING BAND PERFORMANCE!

10:50 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. – Pictures and load

11:45 a.m. – Must depart stadium parking lot

12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. – Golden Corral Lunch Buffet provided

1:30 p.m. –  Return to hotel to change, drop things off, or get what you need for time in the city

2:00 p.m. – Load the bus

2:15 p.m. – Depart hotel and head downtown

2:30 - 7:30 p.m. – Sightseeing/activities in chaperone groups 

(dinner will be in chaperone groups - students will need money)

7:30 p.m. – Return to Lucas Oil Stadium, watch bands and awards ceremony

9:45 p.m. ‘ish’ – Load the bus and depart stadium after the awards ceremony

10:30 p.m. – Return to hotel

10:45 p.m. – Students report to their rooms for inspection

11:00 p.m. – Lights Out

Saturday  (Schedule could change if we make semi-finals)

7:00 a.m. – Wake up, get ready, and eat breakfast provided at the hotel

8:30 a.m. – Check-out and load the bus (all rooms must be inspected by chaperone before leaving)

8:45 a.m. – Depart hotel

9:15 a.m. – Arrive at Lucas Oil Stadium

9:15 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. – Watch bands in small groups with chaperones, visit exhibition center, eat lunch in your small groups on your own (will need money for food)

4:30 p.m. – Depart Lucas Oil Stadium

6:30 - 7:30 p.m.’ish’ – Stop for fast food dinner (will need money for food)

1:30 a.m. ‘ish’  LOCAL TIME – Return to Neosho

The hotel we are staying at Thursday, and Friday night is the Best Western Plus Indianapolis North at the Pyramids, 9320 Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, IN (317) 744-9966. Chaperones and teachers will be on site.  For the comfort and safety of all participants, students are expected to be in their assigned rooms. Cross-visitation between boys’ and girls’ rooms is not permitted.  Rooms will be checked and doors will be taped by lights out.

The performance is at Lucas Oil Stadium – 500 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis. The box office at the dome will open at 6:15 a.m. on Friday. General admission ticket prices for Friday are $45.15 plus fees, and on Saturday $58.15-$80.15 plus fees depending on where you sit.  You could also order a live webcast of the event through Box 5 TV. The link is: https://box5tv.com/bands-of-america/

What you need to bring: your uniform, gloves, shoes, black socks, black athletic shorts, your band shirt, your instrument, mallets, sticks, harness, reeds, flags, rifles, money for concessions/meals/etc., clothes to change into, an overnight bag, extra pillows and blankets if you prefer for sleep, swimsuit if you intend to swim in the short time available at the hotel to do so, etc. Bring something to snack on if you will get hungry during the ride there or back.  You will need money for food, and any activities or shopping you intend on doing.

Lunch and dinner Thursday, breakfast and lunch Friday, and breakfast Saturday will be provided. Students will need money for dinner Friday and Saturday as well as lunch on Saturday.  We will be looking for donations for snack bags on the bus ride up.  Small groups can determine where they would like to eat from fast food restaurants or nicer restaurants as well as the option of just eating at the stadium and watching bands.  Stadium food prices are quite expensive (NFL stadium).  Lunch Thursday will be provided at Main Event in St. Louis.  If students would like to participate in the activities at this location then activity cards can be purchased and range in cost depending on the number of activities students wish to do.  Students interested in these would purchase on site from a cashier.  Dinner on Thursday will be at the Kona Grill and provided by our boosters.  Lunch on Friday will also be provided at the Golden Corral in Indianapolis.  

Each adult chaperone will be responsible for 5-7 students for shopping and sight-seeing as well as during meal times.  Activities that the student groups decide to do may also incur an expense.  In the past there are groups that have gone on a sight-seeing tour, some that have gone shopping, or to a movie, or to an escape room, or museum, or a music convention that will also be going on during this time.  However, student groups are also welcome to watch bands at the stadium.  All students will have a bag inspection before we depart (both overnight as well as carry on) as well as a brief room inspection both nights and will be taped in after inspection.  If a student is using prescription medication that is not listed on their band medical form, then please have the prescription pill bottle with the student’s name on it with medication directions or contact a director.  Please personally contact a director via email or ParentSquare to make us aware of any medication a student might have as well as with any medication you may be sending with your student that is not included on their medical form.  This includes any over the counter medication.

A reminder that students are with us on this trip through semi-finals.  Parents can then check their students out with a director at the conclusion of semi-finals.  If we make it into semi-finals, then our schedule could be drastically different on Saturday, and we would stay through the awards ceremony at semi-finals.  Students are checked out by their parent/guardian with a director only.  If a student wishes to be checked out by a different parent/guardian all documentation and permission forms must be completed and cleared with the activities office and director before we depart Neosho to Indianapolis.  Be courteous to other groups and to each other over this three-day event! Remember, you are representing the band, the music department, the school, and all of Neosho in addition to the state of Missouri! Please conduct yourselves accordingly!

Thank you!