By Keily Alfonzo, Interning Correspondent for The Apopka Voice
In the heart of New Orleans, the Sugar Bowl Parade dazzles with vibrant floats and lively marching bands, setting the stage for an unforgettable day of celebration. As festivities unfold along the historic streets, fans gather to cheer on their teams in the highly anticipated Sugar Bowl game, where tradition, competition, and the spirit of the Big Easy collide in a thrilling display of sportsmanship and festivity.
In 2026, the Wekiva High School Marching Band will get the opportunity to participate in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Parade, a Mardi Gras-style parade with floats, bands, and a preceding football game.
According to the school's website, Wekiva, which started as a feeder school in 2007 to assist in overcrowding, has emerged to win numerous Superior rankings in Orange County MPA evaluations for Marching Band, Color Guard, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Jazz Band.
Jonte Petty, Wekiva High School Director of Bands, said the Sugar Bowl Parade officials selected the Marching Mustangs based on a video of a past performance.
"They said they watched the band and were excited to see them play Michael Jackson's Thriller, so they decided they wanted to invite us to participate," Petty said.
The Sugar Bowl Parade is more than just a parade; there's also a friendly competition called "Battle of the Bands" in which the performers put on their best show for 10 minutes, and at the end, the crowd decides who wins.
"Some bands will have little dance routines that are incorporated into their show while other bands may do different things from movies and shows and things like that, but it's nothing more than bands performing and putting on their show based on the things that are going on right now," Petty said.
He also said there are currently about 120 students in the band, but they expect it to grow bigger next year.
"We anticipate that we're going to have between 130 to 160 based on the new kids coming in, and there are also any students currently on campus that are not in the band that want to be a part of the band," Petty said.
Even though the event takes place in January of 2026, a lot of preparations still need to be done, such as learning new songs, practicing, and fundraising. Petty said that the band starts preparations around this time of the year, once the football season has ended, and they would march through the school parking lot; the music selection is its own process since it requires months to get it ready.
"The music selection will come usually at the end of the school year, and then we'll start having someone to write the music during the summer before we come back for summer band camp," Petty said.
He said the band received the news at the end of October and were shocked.
"They were looking around, like, are you serious? Like, is it us?" Petty said. "They just could not believe it, but they are excited and anxious to go."
However, taking more than 120 high school kids on a multiple-day trip out of state requires substantial financial assistance. That is why the band will host several fundraiser events throughout the year, hoping to raise the necessary amount to attend the event.
"We also are looking for anyone who wants to do sponsorship towards the trip and anyone who wants to donate towards the trip," he said. "We do have an account set specifically for the New Orleans Sugar Bowl trip," Petty said.
Petty said that the band has a timeline it's working with. They plan to evaluate where it is financially at the end of the timeline, and if the goal still needs to be reached, reach out to the school to see if they can contribute towards it.
"I would say that if we got to the tail end of it, and for whatever reason, we are unable to reach the actual mark, I'm sure that the company that's hosting the event may allow us to hold off for another year to come up with the whatever we need to," Petty said.
Being a band director is more than just a job for Petty; seeing what the students are doing and their accomplishments makes him keep going every day.
"I like mentoring them. I enjoy being in the room with them," Petty said. "That's what inspires me to try to keep them being exposed to things outside of the school because, for some of them, being part of the band will allow them to be very successful in whatever careers they choose in the future."
If you want to donate to the Wekiva Mustang Marching Band's Sugar Bowl trip, contact Petty at Jonte.Petty@ocps.net.
