More than 20 top high school marching bands will assemble for Western Carolina University’s 12th annual Tournament of Champions at 8 a.m. Oct. 20 at E.J. Whitmire Stadium on campus. Preliminaries will begin at 8 a.m. and continue through the morning and afternoon. The three class champions will be announced at the conclusion of the preliminaries, and the class champs and the next seven highest scoring bands will advance to the finals competition that evening.
The Pride of the Mountains Marching Band will perform its halftime show “How We Roll” at 4 p.m. The show features the music of Tchaikovsky, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Adele, V.I.C., Billy Joel, Van Morrison, Brian Setzer and Psy.
Participating North Carolina bands (and towns where located) are Owen (Black Mountain), Brevard, Pisgah (Canton), Enka (Candler), Cary, Mill Creek (Claremont), Morehead (Eden), Chase (Forest City), Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg), North Henderson (Hendersonville), Lincolnton, North Lincoln (Lincolnton), Wakefield (Raleigh), Smoky Mountain (Sylva), Cuthbertson (Waxhaw), Tuscola (Waynesville) and North Buncombe (Weaverville).
Tickets are $10 for the preliminary competition. Tickets for the finals are $8, if purchased in advance or at the gate before 4 p.m., and are $10 if purchased after 4 p.m. Children under the age of 12 will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
828.227.2259 or www.prideofthemountains.com.
The folks in the mountains of Western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee share more than a common boundary, they share a deep appreciation for the wild, sometimes rugged, but always beautiful landscape they call home. 
