Central States Marching Festival
The annual Central States Marching Festival stands as a premier event for high school marching bands across Kansas and the surrounding region. Held in the iconic Bill Snyder Family Stadium, the festival offers participating bands a unique blend of performance, education, and community engagement.
Each year, numerous high school bands showcase their talents before a panel of nationally recognized adjudicators. Following their field performances, bands receive immediate feedback through video critiques, emphasizing both strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, many ensembles opt for morning clinics conducted by K-State band staff, focusing on refining musicality, marching fundamentals, and overall showmanship.
The festival culminates in an exhibition performance by the renowned Kansas State University Marching Band, "The Pride of Wildcat Land," providing inspiration and entertainment for all attendees.
We are very proud to be able to bring the innovative and educational concepts to our festival that make the day one of the truly enjoyable and instructional marching events in all of the participants' year and are thankful to the Athletic Department for offering us a climate controlled indoor warmup and performance facility in the event of bad weather.
"Coming from a small school with a small group of students, Central States Marching Festival has been an incredibly positive experience. Working with the K-State band staff during the clinic portion helped reinforce marching fundamentals and playing techniques. The performance portion of the festival allows the bands to performin an incredible atmosphere and venue with top quality judges and top quality ensembles. The video critique following the performance is very helpful so the kids can immediately see how they performed and hear from a clinician both positives and areas of needed improvement in their marching and playing."
Jamie Rogers
Director of Bands
Mission Valley Schools
Individual "Mini-Clinics" by members of the video critique panel immediately following the band's field performance. A videotape of the performance is used to assist in the review of the show. Emphasis will be on the positive aspects of each performance with suggestions for improvement.
Optional opportunity for an additional one-hour clinic in the morning with members of the K-State Marching Band staff.
Additional benefits include the opportunity to perform on the newly resurfaced Wagner Field and/or Memorial Field at KSU and the chance to perform before dozens of other peer organizations. Students will also be treated to an exhibition performance by the Kansas State University Marching Band just prior to the closing ceremonies.
At the CSMF, participants receive quality:
- Adjudication by a panel of nationally recognized authorities in the marching band field.
- Individual "mini-clinics" by members of the video critique panel immediately following each band's field performance.
- A videotape of the performance is used to assist in the review of the show.
- Emphasis is placed on the positive aspects of each performance with constructive suggestions for improvement.
- Optional hour-long on-field clinics in the morning before the festival performance.
- Bands that opt for the on-field clinic can perform part or all of their field show for members of the K-State Bands faculty and staff, who will then spend time clinicing the students on aspects of musicality, marching fundamentals, drill execution, and showmanship.
- The comments and lessons taken from these morning sessions can consequently be applied to the band's festival performance later that day
- Festival Ratings of Superior, Excellent, or Good by class with accompanying awards.
- All bands will receive a festival rating recap.
2025 Festival Information