TROY — The Troy High School school marching band will play host to the 43rd annual Trojan Invitational Marching Band Contest Saturday at Troy Memorial Stadium.

Eleven high school bands from around the region will be performing, with the first band set to perform at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7. The Troy High School marching band will perform around 8:45 p.m. Saturday. The gates will open at 5 p.m., said a Troy City Schools press release.

“We are incredibly excited to once again be hosting the Trojan Marching Band Invitational Contest. It’s a great opportunity for our families, friends and fans who live in the area to not only watch our band perform, but to also see other talented bands from the area, including Tippecanoe and Newton,” Troy High School Director of Bands Molly Venneman said. “Our band members have been working hard all summer to get ready for the competition season, and we would love to be able to put on our show, ‘Inside,’ for a big crowd at Troy Memorial Stadium.”

For the first time in history, the Trojan Invitational will be held on a turf field.

“We are excited to show off our new field,” Venneman said. “We are so thankful for the generous donors who made this happen. Obviously having turf fields is a big deal for our student-athletes, but it’s also huge for us. We are grateful to have this opportunity to perform on the new field in front of our hometown fans. Many people may only see us perform on Friday nights at football games. This is an entirely different experience. It’s a great environment playing in front of a home crowd, and it is a fun way to kick off the competition season for our kids.”

After Troy performs at 8:45 p.m., the Miami University marching band will perform at 9 p.m. The awards ceremony will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m.

“We are thrilled to have Miami University performing here,” said Venneman, a graduate of Miami University. “Obviously they are near and dear to my heart, but it’s also a chance for our students to see what a top-tier college band looks and sounds like. Many of our Troy High School graduates study music in college after graduation, and some have aspirations of joining their college or university’s marching band. This is a great opportunity for them. It’s also a great opportunity for anyone who wants to see a college band perform and be entertained.”

Tickets to the event are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and students. Credit cards and cash both will be accepted for admission and at the concession stands. All Troy City Schools staff members will receive free admission with their staff identification badge.

Troy also will perform in competitions at Tippecanoe (Sept. 21), Marion Local (Sept. 23) and Piqua (Oct. 12). Should Troy earn a Superior rating at any of its four regular season contests, it would qualify for the Ohio Music Educators Association’s state competition the final weekend of October.

Since the first OMEA state competition in 1980, Troy is one of only four bands in the state to qualify every year. Troy has earned a Superior rating every year at state since 2000.