Get A Life Marching Band Event Information

Date	Event
July 4, 2008	Hillsboro Fourth of July Parade (Hillsboro, OR)
September 20, 2008	Puyallup Fair (Puyallup, WA)
October 4, 2008	Oysterfest (Shelton, WA)
February 6-8, 2009	Chinese New Year Parade (San Francisco, CA)
Click event names to jump to info for that event. Events that have already passed or for which we do not yet have staging info are not listed here. For the complete list of the year's events, see the Performances page.

Date

Event

July 4, 2008

Hillsboro Fourth of July Parade (Hillsboro, OR)

September 20, 2008

Puyallup Fair (Puyallup, WA)

October 4, 2008

Oysterfest (Shelton, WA)

February 6-8, 2009

Chinese New Year Parade
(San Francisco, CA)

Click event names to jump to info for that event.
Events that have already passed or for which we do not yet have staging info are not listed here.
For the complete list of the year's events, see the Performances page.

Hillsboro Fourth of July 2008

NOTE: I'm posting as much info as I know and hope it won't change too much; I may have a hard time posting new info since I'll be traveling up until the parade.

There's a lot of information below; please print out whatever parts you'll need (music lists, maps, order of events) to get you through the day. Note that you can print any part of this info without printing all of it: highlight what you want, select File/Print, then choose Selection in the Page Range part of the print dialog box.

Uniform: OLD (white) T-shirt and hat, tan shorts, white shoes/socks. Plenty of red, white, and blue decoration is the order of the day!

Parade Music: We're loading up on the patriotic tunes for the parade as you might expect.

Flag-Raising Music: THIS INFO IS NOW CONFIRMED -- WE *WILL* PLAY THE FLAG RAISING. Be sure you have America the Beautiful with you in case we need it for the flag-raising. I will also bring a "classic" arrangement of the Star-Spangled Banner. (Note -- this is different from National Anthem March!). We will only use a small band for the flag-raising; see details below.

Staging Area Music: There is no official "stage show" standstill for this event. However, the organizers would very much like us to help provide entertainment in the parade staging area while people are waiting for the parade to begin. Bring the following tunes (these are not in order) for use in the staging area between 9:00 and 9:45 AM.

Domino

Wooly Bully

Messin' With the Kid

Gimme Some Lovin'

That's the Way (I Like It)

Hey! Baby

Hip to Be Square

Takin' It to the Streets

YMCA

Soulfinger

Birdland

Beer Barrel Polka

In Heaven There Is No Beer

Shake, Rattle, and Roll

Last Night

Louie Louie with a Groove

Food (Breakfast): The Kiwanis are holding a breakfast at the Congregational Church (Main St & 5th, see map) from 6AM - 10AM. I currently do note have any information about a complimentary band breakfast for 2008 -- as far as I know, you're on your own if you'd like to go early and eat. The menu is pancakes, sausage, apple sauce, orange juice, coffee, and milk. If you'd like breakfast, plan to arrive by 7 AM. The organizers say it starts getting REALLY BUSY around 8AM, so arriving early will really cut down the hassle factor. If you go to breakfast, you need to be finished eating in time to be at the staging area by 8:30 AM.

Parade Staging Area: The parade staging area is at Peter Boscow Elementary School (Grant St & NE 4th, see map). Note that this is a pretty good hike from the Congregational Church (breakfast). If you do not go to breakfast, then meet directly at the parade staging area at 8:30 AM. As noted in the music section above, the organizers would really like us to entertain the other marchers while we hang out in the staging area, so we'll pull tunes out of the list given above. We might get a chance to have other marching bands jam with us; if you'd like, bring an extra copy of a couple of your parts to share.

Flag-Raising: THIS INFO IS NOW CONFIRMED -- WE *WILL* PLAY THE FLAG RAISING. The Rotary Club holds a special flag-raising ceremony to officially kick off the day at 2nd & Main (see map) and they'd like us to provide specific music. Here's what happens: The parade leaves the staging area at 9:45 AM and heads down the parade route, then stops at 2nd & Main for the flag-raising at 10AM. It is likely that GAL will be somewhere further back in the parade order (i.e., we will not lead the parade). You'll note that this makes things a lot trickier since we don't have time for the whole band to hike down to the flag-raising and then back to the staging area before our step-off time. Instead, the organizers plan to transport a subset of the band down to the flag-raising, then back to the staging area to join the main group. I will select a small band to play for the flag-raising; I'm thinking something like 2 flutes/pics, 2 clarinets, 1-2 altos, maybe 1 tenor, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, maybe 1 horn, 1 tuba, 1 bass drum, 1 snare drum/cymbal. Shuttles will pick up the small band at the staging area around 9:45, take us to the flag-raising, then return us to the staging area in time for us to rejoin the full band and step off in the parade. Music for the flag-raising: The veterans participating in the flag-raising are expecting a traditional rendition of the national anthem. Since we do not currently have such an arrangement in our folders, I will provide parts for the Star-Spangled Banner for the small band on Tuesday at the staging area (where we should be able to rehearse it briefly). (Note: Actually, I think Bill Comeau is going to bring the parts, just in case we're delayed and don't get back for the parade.) I'd also like to play America. Following these two tunes, we'll be shuttled back to the parade staging area.

Parade: Theme of this year's parade is "Flying Colors", picking up on the idea of flags passing down the parade route and reflecting the Hillsboro reputation as the Air Show Capital of the Northwest. Organizers will start moving units onto the parade route beginning at 9:45 AM. Parade heads west on Grant St from the staging area and follows the route shown on the map. The parade ends at the corner of Grant and Cornell. Total length of the parade route is about 1.7 miles; the parade website says that we should expect to be out on the route for at least 1.5 hours. That seems long to me, but it could be right if they expect a relatively slow-moving parade. From the end of the route back to the staging area (along Grant St), it's about 0.8 miles. The "Rules of the Road" from the parade website emphasize the importance of maintaining correct spacing in the parade: "All units should hold proper intervals in the procession (approximately 20 feet) – Do not crowd or permit large gaps. Parade Marshalls along the route will assist as necessary."

Judging: We are in the "Marching Bands-Other" category (boy, does that fit or what!!!). Judging is in the parade staging area at 9AM; we'll just use one of the tunes off our list.

Post-Parade Standstill: There is no post-parade standstill. You do need to bring the extra music noted above for pre-parade use in the staging area.

Overall Order of Events: Here's a summary of the events for the day (individual details listed above):

Water: As far as I know, we do not have water carriers for this parade. Since it's a long day and you'll be doing plenty of blowing (I've got a perfectly good band and I'm not afraid to use it!), I'd suggest that you plan to carry water (or in the case of auxiliaries, arrange for water) in the parade.

Parking: Parking may be tricky because the parade circles much of the downtown area and is long, making it interesting to both park and leave after the parade. In 2006, parking was available at JB Thomas Jr High School, 645 NE Lincoln St. (see green oval in center of map). JB Thomas is about 3 blocks from the Kiwanis breakfast and roughly 0.7 miles from the end of the parade route at Cornell & Grant. Since the school is in the center of the parade route and the parade will still be going on after we finish, you'll need to leave using a specific route. Use back roads (probably Jackson St to Birchwood Rd to Grant St) to get to the northeast corner of the "parade box"; parade marshals can help you cross the parade route at that point to escape. Note that it's hard to see these streets on the parade map below; click here for a printable map that shows these back streets, or click here for an interactive map that you can tailor as you like. You can also invent your own parking plan closer to either the parade staging area or disband area, particularly if you are not coming to breakfast; be sure to check the map below for no-parking areas. Carpooling to the event is suggested if possible to reduce the amount of traffic we have to take across the parade route. Another alternative is to take MAX for at least the last leg of your trip to Hillsboro (see suggestion below).

Light Rail (MAX): One possible way to deal with parking is to use MAX, even if you drive most of the way to Hillsboro. There's ample free parking at the Fair Complex / Hillsboro Airport MAX station, located on NE 34th Ave just off NE Cornell Road, right opposite the Hillsboro Airport (click here for map). Park there, then hop a train heading into downtown Hillsboro. There are three MAX stations of interest in downtown Hillsboro, shown as red circles along the red line near the bottom of the map; the name of each station is listed in blue. You probably want to ride to the Hillsboro Central / SE 3rd station (the leftmost stop) and then head for breakfast. To return home, you'll likely want to head for one of the other two stops. As a data point, from the end of the parade route (Cornell & Grant) to either the Tuality Hospital or Washington/12th stop is about 0.7 miles. More info on MAX or on Tri-Met bus routes is available on the Tri-Met website.

Map: Here's the much-mentioned map. Click here for a printable version. (Please note that the printable version will be large and lovely, but does not list the marked locations for the breakfast or flag-raising, or the names of the MAX stops so you'll have to write those in yourself.)

Food (lunch): There will undoubtedly be folks who head for lunch after the parade; ask around or keep your ears open, join any group that sounds like fun. Pat Reed (one of our dancers) has a suggestion for lunch that can also help with the Oregon Food Bank; see Pat's note below.

Puyallup Fair 2008 (Puyallup, WA)

The folks from the Puyallup Fair saw us perform in Long Beach and decided we were just the ticket to entertain their crowds this year. This is a very large fair, with lots of rides, music, food -- the usual goodies. Puyallup is located just southeast of Tacoma. Click here for more information about the Puyallup Fair. It sounds like a fun gig -- and what's even better, it's looking like a FREE gig for band members. Read on!

Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008. (Actually, they wanted us to play on three consecutive Saturdays, but we said we could only do one!)

Transportation: We're reserving a motorcoach for the trip. Thanks to a combination of money from the Fair and from the band fund, the coach will be FREE to band members for this trip -- hard to beat that kinda deal! For non-band members, cost to ride the coach is $12 per person (and includes free entry to the Fair). "Band member" includes people who play instruments, all auxiliary units, and working barrier carriers or roadies as needed.

Food: Hang on, this gets even better ... Band members will receive vouchers that can be used at the Fair's food booths (amount is TBD, but $20/person came up in early discussions).

Performance Information: Details are still being worked out, but the general idea is that we'll play at various locations throughout the Fair over the course of the afternoon (exact timeframe still TBD). We'll set up shop somewhere, do standstill tunes for a while, then pull up stakes, move to another location, and play some more. We'll need to figure out things like breaks etc., but the general idea is that we're peripatetic entertainment to make the Fair a fun experience for everyone. Sounds like our kinda thing!

Signing Up: We need to get an early idea of who will make the trip so that we know how many buses we need and the organizers can judge food cost, etc. Click here to make your reservation via the online sign-up form.

Oysterfest 2008 (Shelton, WA)

Who says lightning doesn't strike twice? Long Beach was apparently a good day for us; in addition to the Puyallup Fair, we were also scouted by the entertainment committee from Oysterfest 2008. The Oyster Folks have also asked for GAL's special brand of craziness at this year's event, so we've booked our third (!) Washington state performance of the season. Oysterfest is held annually on the first weekend in October at the Mason County Fair Grounds in Shelton, Washington (northwest of Olympia on US 101). Click here to see the location of the Fair Grounds. Click here for more information about Oysterfest.

Description (from the website): This is the first October weekend and that means OYSTERFEST in Shelton. With the help of nearly 100 community organizations, Skookum Rotary stages it's annual small town, BIG event! The gates are open from 10am to 6pm each day; you are invited, and we hope to see you there! The Pacific Rim Oyster Open Speed & Half-Shell Oyster Shucking Contests are the centerpiece of the festival. Two other Open events are the Art and Photography Competition and the Seafood Cook-Off. Free entertainment is on-going. Wine tasting is provided by several Washington State Wineries and the Microbreweries certainly know how to do their thing. Not to mention the food vendors--none of whom may duplicate another's delicacy. Our advice-Come Hungry!

Transportation: We will also reserve a motorcoach for this trip. Our entertainment fee from Oysterfest will probably cover about half the cost of the coach, so expect a $12-15 signup fee for this trip.

Performance Information: We don't have detailed performance info yet. Oysterfest has three performance stages plus roving entertainment, so we'll see where they want us. One of the Saturday performers in 2007 was the Shelton High School Marching Band, which won their division in Long Beach this year. While we have no reason to think they're coming, it would be fun if North Mason High School, which is located in the county, appeared this year (they're the blue-and-white band that was jamming with us before the parade in Long Beach).

Chinese New Year Parade 2009

Wanna be "where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars"? Then join the Get a Life Marching Band on its 2009 trip to the "City By The Bay" as we head south to ring in the Year of the Ox. Read on (and follow the links) for all the details and info on how to sign up!

The Event

Voted one of the top ten parades in the country, the San Francisco Chinese Year Parade puts over 100 illuminated units on the street for a crowd of hundreds of thousands. The 1.2 mile parade route steps off at 6 PM from Market Street, loops around Union Square, then heads down Kearny into the heart of the city's famous Chinatown. Live TV coverage, of course! GAL has done some amazing parades over the last decade; this will be another one that you'll be bragging about to "the new kids" in the band for years to come.

The Trip

Unlike our recent trip to Florida, time time we'll be traveling "en masse" (a French term that means "get a loada the size a that BAND"), flying together on Alaska Airlines down to San Francisco on the morning of Friday February 6, 2009. You'll have all of Friday and half of Saturday to enjoy the city before we hit the streets on Saturday night for what should be a memorable experience. Our return flight to Portland is on Sunday evening, so you can sleep in after the revelry, make a last shopping trip, or take another morning to the explore the attractions before heading home. It's a true Band Trip Road Holiday with plenty of time to enjoy everything that one of America's great cities has to offer!

As always, Tom has promised to take good care of us. Besides a hotel in a great location (only 0.3 mi from Fisherman's Wharf; see more below), you'll be provided with a MUNI 3-day Passport that covers all Bus, BART (train), and Cable Car routes in the city, making it easy for you to get to any attractions you like. Your package also includes a 1 hour Red & White Fleet Golden Gate Bay Cruise, circling Alcatraz Island and passing beneath the iconic Golden Gate Bridge while giving you a harbor-level view of the San Francisco hills, attractions, and skyline.

Since this is a Get a Life Marching Band trip, we've also thought about food. A free deluxe continental breakfast (including make-your-own waffles) is included at the hotel each morning. You'll also get lunch vouchers for two other SF "food attractions". First up is the In-N-Out Burger at Fisherman's Wharf. Privately owned since its founding in 1948, In-N-Out Burger still makes everything fresh to order -- fries from hand-diced, fresh, whole potatoes, milk shakes from real ice cream -- heck, they're even proud of their lettuce as you can see in their freshness story. Your second lunch voucher gives you an opportunity to chow down on some of the city's famous sourdough bread, along with the rest of lunch and a bakery tour, at Boudin Bakery Cafe at Fisherman's Wharf. Ummm, you can almost smell the fresh-baked bread already!

The Hotel

Our domicile on this trip is the Comfort Inn by the Bay, located in the heart of San Francisco at 2775 Van Ness Ave. The hotel is just 3 blocks from a Cable Car stop, 0.3 miles from Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, the Cannery; a tad further to the Crookest Street in the World; a mile from Chinatown and the Cable Car Museum; three miles from Golden Gate Park - you get the idea! As noted above, free deluxe continental breakfast is included each morning. Other amenities include free local calls and free high-speed internet access (wired and wireless). High-class accommodations at a reasonable price (especially for San Francisco)!

Your Band Trip Road Holiday includes:

The Damages

Regrettably, we haven't figured out how to make the trip free, so you're gonna have to come up with a few bucks. Pricing is given below for Single, Double, Triple, and Quad occupancy. Land-only packages (hotel, motor coach, etc) are available for those who are traveling from other cities or arranging alternate travel like Amtrak; call Tom for details. Because San Francisco can be an expensive city, we've included items like the MUNI Passport, lunch vouchers, and hotel breakfast to help contain the cost.

Total pricing is based upon blocked group space airfare via Alaska Airlines, allowing us to travel together both ways. So that you don't have to come up with all the cash at once, we've broken payment into three stages:

Reservations

You can reserve your spot on GAL's next great road trip by submitting the online travel form. Alternatively, contact Tom Higham at Journeys by Ambassador via his contact info below. Be prepared with a credit card number that he can use for your travel deposit. The Year of the Ox is nearly upon us -- don't miss out on one of the best places in the world to celebrate its arrival!

Tom Higham Contact Info

Many of you have worked with Tom Higham, who handles all of GAL's travel (and personal travel for many of us). Tom has moved to a new company, so his contact info has changed. You can now reach him at:

Tom Higham
Journeys by Ambassador
15835 SW Boones Ferry Road
Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Direct phone: (503) 546-1079
Main Office phone: (503) 635-7766
Toll-Free: 800 344-8890
Cell: 503-484-8842
Fax: (503) 635-7781
EMail: THigham@jbatravel.com

Time	Event	Location
No later than 7AM	Breakfast (optional) at your cost	Congregational Church, 5th & Main
8:30 AM	ALL meet in Parade Staging Area (includes those who skip breakfast)	Peter Boscow Elementary School, 4th & Grant
9:00 AM	Judging
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM	Pre-parade entertainment (use Staging Area Music list)
9:45 AM [CONFIRMED]	Shuttle pick-up for small band	Move to flag-raising, 2nd & Main
9:45 AM	Parade starts	3rd & Grant
10:00 AM	Small band plays flag-raising	2nd & Main
10:10 AM (est.)	Shuttle pick-up for small band	Return to Parade Staging Area (4th & Grant)
10:30-10:45 AM (est.)	GAL steps off
12:00 - 12:30 PM	Parade ends (for GAL)	Cornell & Grant

Occupancy	Per-Person Rate
Single	$809.00
Double	$645.00
Triple	$591.00
Quad	$563.00

	$100 per person non-refundable deposit due by June 30. $200 per person non-refundable second deposit due by August 15. Balance due by November 10
If you prefer, Tom can charge your credit card for the full amount of the package now.

Event Information for Band Members