It鈥檚 all over but the marching. And, the freezing cold temperatures. UL Lafayette鈥檚 Pride of Acadiana Marching Band held a final rehearsal Friday afternoon before they head off to the Big Apple for the 79th annual Macy鈥檚 Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The 280-member band is the only band in Louisiana to be accepted into the parade on its鈥 first try.
鈥 It鈥檚 just mind blowing at this point,鈥 said Brian Taylor, director of the Pride of Acadiana. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost too much to absorb.鈥
Taylor applied to Macy鈥檚 in February. He received acceptance two months later and later told band members. He made five members of the band unscramble the word 鈥淢acy鈥檚鈥 written in icing on five large cookie cakes.
鈥 I told the band we had a special performance opportunity,鈥 said Taylor.
It鈥檚 a very special opportunity. The Pride of Acadiana Marching Band will be the sixth band in the parade. They will follow the Big Apple Float which is featuring New Orleans鈥 Krewe of Orpheus along with NYPD officers and FDNY rescue workers in a special musical salute to New Orleans.
The band will play several Cajun tunes during the main part of the parade as it travels down Broadway including 鈥楤ig Chief鈥 and 鈥楳oneymaker.鈥 鈥榃inter Wonderful鈥 is also on the playlist.
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Taylor said a special arrangement will be played for the NBC exclusive area -- Herald Square. The arrangement is a combination of 鈥榃hen the Saints Go Marching In,鈥 鈥極n the Sunny Side of the Street鈥 and 鈥楽outh Rampart Street Parade.鈥 The band will exit with 鈥楽leigh Ride鈥 to add some holiday fun in the mix.
Celeste Adams, a sophomore flute player from New Orleans, said this is the 鈥減arade of all parades.鈥
鈥 It鈥檚 so exciting to be a part of this,鈥 she said. 鈥淓verybody in the band works so hard and everyone is so helpful.鈥
In addition to performing in the parade, the band will also tour the city and perform on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier museum. Following the parade, members will take a dinner cruise around Manhattan Island.
The next day, students plan on sight-seeing. Some will attend Broadway shows and others will see the New York Philharmonic. The group will return to Lafayette Nov. 27.
The total cost of the trip is $250,000. Students will each pay about $150. Taylor said the band has also gotten financial support from some UL Lafayette alumni.