There are a lot of talented musicians in our school, and for these students, nothing is cooler than Fuquay hosting a competition that allows them to shine. This year, Fuquay-Varina High School is hosting the 33rd annual Festival of Bands. The event will take place on Oct. 15, 2022. Many different schools are joining and competing this year, including Apex, Jordan, Clover Garden, Middle Creek, and more.

The Fuquay-Varina Festival of Bands (FOB) is a marching band competition run by the Band Boosters of Fuquay-Varina, Inc. as a fundraiser in support of the band program at FVHS. The performances are presented in Bengal Stadium. Ten high school marching bands will compete for awards in a variety of categories.  Each band presents a unique program incorporating music and movement to communicate a compelling mix of story and emotion to the audience. Performances are usually six to eight minutes long. 

Musical selections vary widely. There are original classical-style pieces, arrangements of well-known classical music, pop songs, jazz, Latin, and more. Some groups incorporate props or pre-recorded voice-over messages to help establish a scene and communicate a story. Bands are adjudicated in a variety of areas by a panel of judges. There are judges for music performance, visual performance, general effects, color guard, and percussion.

Band director Matt Edwards loves to create an environment that band students enjoy. 

“Band kids are some of the best kids in our school. They share qualities that we want to see in all of our Bengal students – hard-working, empathetic, supportive, dedicated, proud to work together to create something greater than themselves,” said Edwards

  The band has two mottos that say, “Each time better than the last time” and “Leave it better than you found it.” They want to show everyone that they clean up after themselves once a competition ends and help their colleagues become better people and musicians.

Edwards is delighted to show off the marching band.

 “I’m excited about FOB because it allows us to showcase our marching band members, the arts in our community, and our beautiful new campus,” said Edwards.

 If you are interested in supporting your very own Bengals, you can come to this event with friends and family. Tickets are $12, and you can pay at the gate or online. Children under the age of 5 get in for free. Food will also be available for purchase. They will be serving bbq sandwiches, pizza, nachos, hot dogs, chips, and cotton candy.