BOURBON COUNTY, Ky. — Over 100 current and former Bourbon County band members got the chance of a lifetime to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The band’s performance of “Angels of Kentucky” was featured on the NBC broadcast of the parade. Family members of those students described what it was like to be there.
“We were so proud, and it didn’t matter that we were up so early this morning. We didn’t care, we were just so ready and there was a group of us that were cheering them on so they were so excited when they saw us,” Amy Graves said. Graves’s daughter Bryna is a Junior and plays the mellophone.
“She loves it. Oh my gosh, she just called me before I talked to you and she’s so excited,” Graves said.
Bryna’s father, Jonathan, says he’s very proud of his daughter and the entire band. “They’re amazing students and they’re amazing musicians. I mean, they’ve earned it, they’ve earned that right to be here,” Jonathan Graves said.
Over 100 parents traveled with the band to New York. Thanksgiving morning, several of them got to view the parade from bleachers along the route. One mother said that once they spotted their kids, everyone started cheering. “I just, I don’t think they realize how amazing this is, but there are all very excited about it,” Kimberlee McElroy said.
McElroy’s son is an eighth grader who plays the bass drum. The band arrived in New York on Monday and has made several excursions to sightsee leading up to Thanksgiving. They will head back to Kentucky on Saturday.