A local marching band will help the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade mark a major milestone next year.
The Concord Marching Minutemen will take part in the parade’s 100th edition in 2026. It’s one of 10 marching bands selected for next year’s parade.
Concord Community Schools Director of Music Bryan Golden says the school is really excited about the opportunity. "It’s pretty outstanding," Golden said. "It’s a nice recognition of our efforts throughout the years, our desire for excellence and keeping the standards high for the students."
Golden said he’s starting to work with a travel agent on an itinerary. Choosing the music and developing a show will come later. “For the Macy’s program, every band gets televised right in front of the Macy’s store, and we’ll have to design a show for those two or three minutes that we’re actually going to be put on cameras,” Golden explained.
He said each band’s director typically chooses the music, which is sent to parade organizers for approval. Bands also send video updates, documenting the progress of their shows’ development.
In addition to performing in the parade itself, students will also get a chance to experience New York City. Golden hopes to take band members to the 9/11 Memorial, a Broadway show, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, among other potential sites. “It’ll be a busy week at New York for everybody, but we know that this is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so we want to make it worth every student’s while,” Golden added.
Concord’s selection also came with a $10,000 grant from Macy’s to offset the cost for families.
This will mark the Concord’s eighth appearance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Its last was in 2013.
Golden noted that the 100th edition of the parade also coincides with Concord Community Schools’ 100th anniversary. “It’s really neat to have those things line up together, to kind of make both events really special and really unique for our kids,” he said.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924 but took three years off during World War II.
