Bands march into Autzen.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Twenty-three high school marching bands will fill Autzen Stadium on Saturday for the 25th annual Festival of Bands, one of the largest such competitions in the Northwest.

Gates will open at 8:30 a.m. for the preliminary rounds, featuring a wide variety of music, ranging from Broadway show tunes and movie music to rock 'n' roll.

Preliminary rounds will conclude with an exhibition performance by the Oregon Marching Band at 3:30 p.m.

Final rounds will begin about 5:30 p.m., and another performance by the UO band will close the festival at 9 p.m. The college band's drum line will present a clinic and performance during the lunch break.

Awards will be given after both preliminary and final competition. A Northwest Marching Band Circuit Championship trophy will be awarded.

Tickets will be available at the stadium's south gate on Saturday. All-day tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for students and seniors. A family four-pack (two adults and two children) will be available for $32.

Children younger than 6 will be admitted free.

Wheelchair-accessible seating is available. Parking at Autzen is free, and cars should enter from Leo Harris Parkway at the west end of the stadium, which is located at 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Concessions and souvenirs will be sold, with all proceeds benefiting the Oregon Marching Band. The festival is the UO band's largest fund-raiser of the year.

Oregon high school bands scheduled to perform include Sheldon, Willamette, Thurston, Roseburg, St. Helens, Henley, McKay, McNary, Beaverton, Aloha, Century, North Salem, West Salem, South Salem, Centennial, Southridge, Sunset, Sprague, Crater and Grants Pass high schools.

Three bands from Washington also will compete: Mountain View and Skyview high schools from Vancouver and Cheney High School.

For more information, call the UO band office at 346-5670, or check its Web site at omb.uoregon.edu.