CANDLER, N.C. (828newsNOW) — This Saturday, 30 high school marching bands will take to the field – and the sky – for the 50th Land of the Sky Marching Band Festival in Candler, N.C.

Land of the Sky is held every Fall at Enka High School, 475 Enka Lake Road. This year, the festival will be held from 9 a.m. to just after 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2 on the Enka High football field.

Due to Hurricane Helene’s impact on the region, the festival was delayed from its originally scheduled date on Sept. 24. However, the band marched on. Nearly all of the originally slated bands are still onboard for the 50th Land of the Sky.

Several of those bands are from high schools in Buncombe County.

Owen, North Buncombe, T. C. Roberson and A. C. Reynolds high schools will be in competition, while Enka High and Middle will perform two special exhibition performances.

For visitors unfamiliar with a marching band competition, bands will each perform a themed show, complete with music, choreography and color guard. Pieces bands perform could be anything from 80s pop song arrangements to selections from great classical orchestras.

The festival is split into two halves, each marked with division awards according to the size of the band. The smallest schools, 1/A and 2/A, will be awarded at 3 p.m.

The 1/A and 2/A bands in attendance will be:

  • Murphy
  • Robbinsville
  • Smoky Mountain
  • R-S Central
  • Madison
  • East Rutherford
  • Owen
  • Swain
  • Volunteer
  • Cocke County
  • Chase
  • McDowell
  • South Caldwell
  • North Buncombe

Awards for the largest bands, 3/A and 4/A, will be given out at the festival’s close at 8:30 p.m.

The 3/A and 4/A bands in attendance will be:

  • West Henderson
  • Tuscola
  • Franklin
  • T. C. Roberson
  • Freedom
  • Pisgah
  • North Henderson
  • A. C. Reynolds
  • Newton-Conover
  • Science Hill

The Enka High band’s exhibition presentation will immediately precede the closing awards.

Tickets for the festival are $12 for adults and $10 for children ages 6 and up. Children under the age of 5 are admitted for free.

Concessions will be sold at the festival as well.