Memorial Day Parade

The musicians of the 7th & 8th grade band will be working diligently to prepare for participation in Muskegon’s annual Memorial Day Parade in downtown Muskegon on the last Monday of the month of May. Not only has your child been memorizing their part in an arrangement of the service songs of the five branches of the US Armed Forces, they have also been making a successful transition from a high performing set of two middle school concert bands to a combined middle school marching band. The process has been going very well, and I am confident that you will be very proud to see your child honoring our veterans in the parade performance.

The important information found in this post should provide you with all of the information that you need to know regarding the Memorial Day parade performance. Please note that there will be very little flexibility in our dress guidelines as our visual presentation will very much be a representation of our dedication to the theme and tone of the parade.

Students will need to wear these specific items for the parade:

• BLACK shoes (with BLACK laces if applicable) that are comfortable to march in

• BLACK socks

• BLACK pants or slacks;

  • dresses, skirts or long shorts will not be permissible

  • please use good judgement if you are considering black leggings or black yoga pants--some of these can appear less than opaque and would not be the best option in order to remain uniform with the other members of the band

• Memorial Day T-shirt provided to the students in class by Mr. Nimtz

  • This shirt must be tucked in and cannot be modified in any way for the performance.

  • If the shirt cannot be tucked in, then the shirt should be tied in the back in order to appear uniform with the other band members.

Some things to note:

• T-shirts will need to be returned to school following Memorial Day. The shirts will be cleaned and stored for next year's students. Students will be charged a $10 fee if the shirt is not returned.

• Individuals with long hair must have their hair pulled back so that it does not obstruct the face while playing. This expectation is applicable to all band members.

• Sunglasses will not be necessary for the parade participants. Individuals who have prescription glasses that tint when in sunlight will be allowed to wear those glasses.

Parade Information:

• Because there will be streets blocked off for the parade, it is recommended that you:

  • take Shoreline Drive to 3rd Street

  • proceed SOUTH on 3rd St to Morris St.

    • You may choose to drop off your child here and have them walk a short distance EAST to North side of Morris St. where the parade is organizing, OR you may choose to pull into the parking lot on the South side of Morris St. and drop your child off there.

    • My advice would be to avoid turning onto Morris St. or using the parking lot to drop off your child. There will be a lot of activity on Morris St., and getting in and out of the parking lot could be problematic. Dropping off your child and having them walk the short distance to the parade organizing area might cause the least amount trouble for you on Memorial Day morning.

• Students will need to arrive to the large parking lot on the NORTH corner of Morris St. and 2nd St. in downtown Muskegon at 8:20 a.m. on the morning of the parade.

  • It is not necessary for participants to arrive before 8:20 a.m.

  • Click here to access a map of the Morris St. / 2nd St. area.

• Students should arrive completely dressed as no changing facilities will be available.

• Restroom facilities will not be available, so students should plan appropriately before arriving to the parade.

• Students will be responsible for the transportation of their instruments to and from the parade. There will be no busing of students or equipment trucks on the day of the parade. Students should not bring their cases to the parade as there will be no place to store them during the performance.

• The parade begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends near Hackley Park. Approximate time of the MSMS band’s arrival near Hackley Park will be 9:25 a.m. Students will be released to Hackley Park at the conclusion of the band's parade performance. The parade route takes our band EAST to Terrace St., SOUTH to Clay Ave., then WEST to Hackley Park. Typically, crowds will gather on Clay Ave. to watch the parade.

If you are interested in assisting the MSMS band on the day of performance, please contact Mr. Nimtz. There is a need for some parents to walk with the band on the parade route.

Contact information:

Mr. Nimtz, 332-8541

nimtzg@monashores.net