Local and West Side schools earn awards in Junior Lilac Parade middle school marching band contest

Almost 1,000 students in over 50 marching bands took to the downtown streets Saturday in the annual Junior Lilac Parade, some of them finishing decorated ahead of the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade the coming weekend.

The competition of middle school marching bands kicks off the 87th annual Spokane Lilac Festival, coinciding with the purple blooms that peak this time of year, meant to honor service members and uplift kids in the area.

Several judges sprinkled themselves along the parade route to rank the student bands and dance groups in the parade. Students spanning from Spokane to Colbert to Mukilteo, on the West Side, earned awards.

The group from Mountainside Middle School, of the Mead School District, got the sweepstakes award, securing them a place to march in the larger parade on Saturday.

In the large band category, which counts groups with over 90 musicians, Northwood Middle School, also of Mead, took first place. They were followed by the band from Olympic View Mukilteo School District in second place and a band with students from Cheney and Westwood Middle Schools.

The small band category highlights groups of fewer than 90 musicians. Greenacres Middle School of the Central Valley School District took first in the category. Second and third place went to bands from Mead’s Highland Middle School and the private Valley Christian School.

In awards for dance, Sacajawea Middle School of Spokane Public Schools earned the highest accolades, followed by Olympic View Middle School from Mukilteo.