Northwoods Marching Band to perform at Rose Parade

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - It’s a day of celebration for the Northwoods Marching Band. They’ve been formally invited to perform at the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 2, 2023.

Getting the honor to play in the Rose Parade in Pasadena doesn’t happen every day.

“This is a great opportunity,” said Antigo High School sophomore Hunter Leitermann.

Leitermann has been in the band for almost eight years. The honor to play in Pasadena caught him by surprise.

“It’s definitely an eye-opener I would say, it’s weird to feel like such a big part of something,” Leitermann said.

It’s also a historic event. The Northwoods Band is the first to participate in the Rose Parade from northern Wisconsin. The Rose Parade President is from Eagle River and decided it was time to let this area be featured at the national level.

“I couldn’t be more proud. These kids are representing not only their schools, they’re representing their communities, they’re representing the state of Wisconsin and the entire Midwest when they’re coming out to Pasadena,” Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association President Amy Wainscott said.

The Northwoods Band is made up of eight area schools. It includes Wausau East, Antigo, D.C. Everest, Lakeland, Merrill, Mosinee, Northland Pines, and Three Lakes.

“The kids have been wonderful, but they’ve been bouncing off the walls in Merrill in their auditorium when we’ve rehearsed, they’ve been bouncing off the walls here today,” Wausau East Band Director Rob Perkins said.

During the parade, the band will perform ‘Beautiful Wisconsin,’ composed by retired UW Marching Band Director Mike Leckrone. It’s something that will have a lasting impact on this group of students.

“That’s not an opportunity everybody gets, it’s pretty cool,” Leitermann said.

“As somebody who marched in the Badger Band, it’s been terrific to see our kids playing something he wrote for us,” Perkins said.

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