History

The first ever Puget Sound Festival of Bands was actually called the Cascade Sound Marching Band Championships. It was held on October 22nd, 1988 at Snohomish High School's Veterans Memorial Stadium. Under the direction of Jim Johnson and sponsored by the Cascade High School Band Booster Club, 15 bands competed in this first ever marching band competition in the Pacific Northwest.

During the second year of the Championships, the event was co-sponsored by the Snohomish High Band Booster Club in hopes of a bigger and better event with more bands participating. With the addition of Snohomish as a sponsor, the name of the event was changed to Puget Sound Marching Band Championships.

By 1994 Snohomish High School no longer co-sponsored the event and this competition became officially known as the Puget Sound Festival of Bands. It was held at Mariner High School's Frank Goddard Stadium for the next three years.

In 1997 the Festival was moved to the newly renovated Everett Memorial Stadium and has been held there ever since.

Over the years besides Snohomish High School, the Festival has been co-sponsored by Winter Guard International and the Northwest Marching Band Circuit. In recent years the Festival has been an independent show run once again by the Cascade High School Band and Color Guard Boosters.

In 2010, the 23rd Annual Puget Sound Festival of Bands had its largest turn out yet with 33 bands participating from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Since the first competition in 1988 to the present, the purpose of the Festival has been to showcase the musical talents of students in our high school programs throughout the Pacific Northwest and to gain community awareness and support for the music programs in our schools.

The Cascade High School Band and Color Guard Boosters would like to thank the Everett community's continued support of the Puget Sound Festival of Bands for the past 33 years!