The California Pinto Pride Marching Band returned home following a week in sunny and warm Florida. The 66 member band, under direction of Dustijn Hollon and assistant directors Stacy Davis and Erika DeMoss participated in three parades while in Florida.
The first parade took place in the streets of Universal Studios - Orlando on Dec. 29. The Macy's Holiday Parade featured several of the large balloons seen in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in New York City.
While in Orlando, the band members were treated to two days of fun at the theme park.
The next parade was the Florida Citrus Bowl Parade in Orlando on Dec. 30. This is a major sports holiday parade ranked second only to the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. It was nationally televised, primarily on ABC networks.
Bands from across the country participated and also included the University of Florida and University of Michigan marching bands.
Following the parade, the group traveled on to Tampa, Fla., for their next performance. The morning of New Years Eve, the band enjoyed some time on the beach at Treasure Island near Tampa Bay. For some, it was the first time they had seen the ocean so it was a great treat for the students. The weather was beautiful so most swam and wadded in the surf.
The Outback Bowl Parade, which takes place on the streets of the older part of Tampa, stepped off about dusk. This parade has a similar feel to the Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. The Pinto Pride Marching Band was one of 15 bands in the parade which included the marching bands from Northwestern and the University of Tennessee. The Pinto Pride Marching Band was well received, especially by the orange-clad Tennessee fans.
Following the parade, the band was scheduled to head back north. Unfortunately, a mechanical break down with one of the two buses forced the band to spend an additional night in Florida.
A replacement bus allowed the group to head towards home.
Finally after many hours of travel, on Jan. 1, the community of California showed their pride in the young people with an escort of one police car and three fire trucks complete with sirens and lights, through the streets of California back to school. Many people gathered along the sidewalks waving and taking photos. It was a great way to end a successful trip.