What’s the one event of the year that brings together band kids from all over Beaver County? The Geneva Marching Band Invitational, of course!

September 16, marching bands from the surrounding area performed their halftime shows for fellow marching band members.

Bands from Beaver Falls, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Ellwood City, Freedom, Hopewell, New Brighton, Riverside, Rochester, South Side, and Western Beaver (with a special feature by the Geneva Golden Tornado band) showed off their hard work on the college field.

Junior Drum Major, Josh Dahma, described the event as an exciting night, and many students agreed.

“[The Geneva Marching Band Invitational] is the best because we worked hard to get there and we did a good job. It’s really exciting to perform for people who understand and can appreciate what we do,” Dahma elaborated.

From a two-week band camp in the hot summer months, all 60 members of the Bobcat marching band memorized challenging music and their visual drill in preparation for the season and Geneva event.

The night was a rewarding experience to many musicians, full of audience participation, clapping, and singing along to songs.

Junior Brady Young gave the night a 10/10 review: “The overall community is the best. Every band is there for each other. It’s really fun because it's the same type of people from other bands, not in a competitive background. It’s an overall great experience.”

Beaver Area has been a yearly attendee since 2014, since the homecoming parade and game used to fall on the same day are the Geneva event.

No awards are given to the bands, but drum majors line up to receive a participation plaque.

“It was really cool to see the majorettes from the other schools, especially since we don’t have any at Beaver,” senior Amara Stewart said.

Highlights of the night included a Michael Jackson impersonation by a Blackhawk student, videographers from Beaver County Events, and a drum “mosh pit” closing out the night with jig 2, a crowd favorite.

Another favorite among students was Blackhawk’s show featuring a giant blow-up ghost, a saxophone soloist, and visuals inspired by Stranger Things.

The event attracted over 1,800 spectators, whether they were alumni, parents, or community members coming to enjoy music without the typical football crowd.

Band Director J.P. Scanga reflected with pride on the event, saying, “I am very proud of our students! They did a fine job in representing our school and community very well. It was a pleasure to see and hear the other bands in our community. We celebrate their work, too!”