The drum beats and music from 28 marching bands will be heard throughout Hartselle all day Sat., Oct. 4, during the 19th Annual Southern Hospital Marching Festival at J.P. Cain Stadium.

Sponsored by Hartselle Band Boosters, the event will feature 24 competing high school bands from Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi in addition to the Hartselle Junior High and Hartselle High School bands.

Randall Key, Hartselle director of bands, will serve as host director and will be assisted by coordinator Steve and Sarah Gentle, chairwoman of the band boosters.

Visiting bands will compete in five separate classes beginning at 10 a.m.

“I’m very excited about the festival,” Key said. “With bands coming from Mississippi and Tennessee as well as Alabama, each class will be well represented and the competition will be outstanding.

“This is the highlight of the year fundraiser for our band boosters,” he added. “It also gives our community an economic boost, as more than 2,000 band members and their followers will be here for the day. From an educational standpoint, our students will benefit from working in a hospitable manner with the public.”

Admission to the all-day event is $5 per person. Band boosters will make concessions available.

Competing bands and classes are: Class A, Tanner, Meek, Fyffe Munford and Loretto, Tenn.; Class AA, Lawrence County, Vinemont, Central, North Jackson, New Hope, Pleasant Grove and Tishomingo, Miss: Class AAA, Smryna, Tenn., Decatur, Ardmore, Brewer, Kossuth, Miss. and Mortimer Jordan; Class AAAA, Fort Payne, Walker and Muscle Shoals; Class AAAAA, Bob Jones, James Clemens and Albertville.

Hartselle Junior High band will open the festival at 9:30 a.m. with the playing of the national anthem, followed by two songs.

The Hartselle High band will perform at 7:30 p.m. followed by the presentation of awards.

Bands will be evaluated by a panel of visiting judges and rated from 1 (superior) to 4 (fair). Trophies will be awarded in each class for best drum major, dance line, color guard, majorettes, percussion and band.

In addition, challenge cup winners will be selected for each class and the Dexter Greenhaw Memorial Trophy will be awarded to the best color guard.