For the first time, county residents will be able to see all of the area marching bands perform in one location.

At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the bands from Elkin High School, Mount Airy High School, Surry Central High School, North Surry High School and East Surry High School will gather at the East Surry football stadium to perform their competition shows.

“This is a preseason show to get all of the bands ready for the competition season which usually doesn’t start until around the first of October,” said Mike Hyde, Surry Central band director. “We’re trying to bring the arts out in the spotlight more and highlight what we do. This is a way to showcase other than at halftime of the football game.”

Each of the bands will sit in the stands until it is their turn to perform and then will warm-up on the field. This format gives the bands a chance to watch one another and see what the other programs in the county are doing.

After they perform, each band will proceed to the end zone where they will get instant feedback from the judges. While the bands will not be scored and there will not be any trophies awarded, there will be judges who critique the performance.

David Bennett from West Stokes High School, Daniel Jarvis from North Stokes High School, John Tucker from Mount Tabor High School and Brad Slusarczyk from UNC-Greensboro will serve as the judges. Slusrczyk is a senior music major who hopes to be a marching band instructor.

“This is a good checkpoint to make sure we’re pushing and staying on task. It also gives the students the opportunity to see where the other bands are and will hopefully keep them motivated,” said Hyde of the showcase.

Gates for the event will open at 5 p.m. and it is free to the public. There will also be concessions available. The bands will perform about every 30 minutes with the show ending around 8 p.m.

The bands in the county will also come together once again in an all-county band for the Mount Airy Christmas Parade. This will be the second year for the all-county band.

Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com or 719-1929.