The 58^th Annual Washington High School (Gene Hunt) Marching Band Festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, at Scanlan Stadium on the WHS campus.

The festival will feature 9 bands plus the Pride of Washington in an exhibition performance from across the state of Missouri and Illinois. The preliminary field competition begins at 11 a.m. and concludes at 1:45 p.m. Finals competition begins at 4 p.m. with The Pride of Washington Marching Blue Jays presenting their 2026 production, “What Goes Around,” in an exhibition performance at 6:30 p.m.

Click here for the complete schedule.

The Pride of Washington Marching Blue Jays, under the direction of Dr. Gretchen Pohlman, is comprised of 100 students in grades 9-12. The ensemble began rehearsals in July with their regional and state competitive season running from September through the end of October.

This year, the band will end their 2026 competitive season at the Missouri State Marching Association State Championships in Columbia on Saturday, October 17, and the Ste. Genevieve Marching Band Festival on Saturday, October 24. After their competitive season, The Pride of Washington will still perform throughout the Washington community at the annual WHS Veterans Day Assembly and the City of Washington’s annual Christmas Parade.