A parade to honor all veterans, active duty military members and reservists will step off at 11 a.m., in downtown Wilmington, NC.

ECU Marching Pirates to headline 2024 Veterans Parade

The East Carolina University Marching Pirates will return to the Southeast North Carolina Veterans Parade on Nov. 9 as the 2024 headliner band.

The 220-member Marching Pirates band also was the headliner for the 2022 SENC Veterans Parade and is back by popular demand in the band's 86th year.

Joe Busuito, associate director of bands at ECU, said the Marching Pirates will perform a mixture “student schtick” with drums cadencing and students dancing. In between those routines, the band will perform a medley of military service songs.

ECU alumni who attended the 2022 parade were treated to an impromptu performance by the band in front of the bleachers where they were seated. Busuito said he plans to have the band repeat that popular special performance for alumni this year.

About Joe Busuito, associate director of bands

Busuito directs the ECU Marching Pirates and the basketball pep band and conducts the Symphonic Band.

Busuito was the assistant director of concert and athletic bands at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, from 2017 to 2020. He was the director of the Rutgers Symphony Band, and he instructed the Marching Scarlet Knights and pep bands. He was a member of the music education faculty and served as the instructor for the brass instrumental techniques course and the first-year conducting class.

Busuito holds the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Instrumental Conducting, Wind Band from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Master of Music in Wind Conducting from Western Michigan University and Bachelor of Music Education from Western Michigan University. His research has been published in the WASBE Journal and he has presented at the CBDNA National Conference.

About the parade

The Southeast North Carolina Veterans Parade committee is proud to announce this year's entertainment lineup for the parade and pre-show to be held beginning at 10 a.m. on Third Street in historic downtown Wilmington, NC.

Pre-show to begin at 10 a.m.:

1. Beaches and Boots Dancers

2. Veterans Parade Brass Quintet

3. UNCW Seabelles Choir

Parade to begin at 11 a.m.:

1. Jamestown Pipes and Drums

2. Cross Creek Pipes and Drums

3. NC State Pipes and Drums

4. Wilmington Police Pipes

5. Tryon Palace Fifes and Drums

6. North Brunswick High School Band

7. Lejeune High School Band

8. Ashley High School Band

9. Hoggard High School Band

10. Army 4-40th Band

11. East Carolina University Marching Pirates

More than a thousand veterans will be marching or in attendance.