Mercer Island Schools Band Boosters

NYC Here We Come! 

Family Trip Planning Information Update 

 

On behalf of the Mercer Island Schools Band program and the Mercer Island Schools Band  Boosters Board, we wanted to reach out to you all with information about our upcoming trip to  NYC for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! We know that many of you will be watching the  parade from home and others will be making the trip to New York to watch the band in person.  Either way, the big day promises to be exciting! Here is a brief outline of what will be happening  so that you and your family can begin to make your holiday plans with this itinerary in mind.  Activities that families in NYC can join are in red. Future communications will address ways in  which families can stay in touch with each other (both in NYC and at home) as well as ways the  band program directors and staff will stay in touch with parents about student experiences.

 

Our trip provider is Students on Broadway. For those families traveling to NYC, either on one of  the Family and Friends packages or independently, a la carte tickets to shows and Thanksgiving  dinner with the band can be purchased at https://www.studentsonbroadwaybands.com/mercer macys-2023/ (Password:1119).  

 

Sunday, November 19 

● Travel day for MIHS Band students and those families on the Family and Friends  packages with Students on Broadway 

● Students check-in 3:30 AM (Group 1) or 6:00 AM (Group 2) or 3:00 AM (group 3) -Tacoma International Airport 

 

Monday, November 20 

● MIHS Band rehearsal day

• Watch the band on the Today Show at 8:30am and 8:50am EST on NBC. (Families can watch taped time delayed performance on our local NBC station as well.) NYC families are welcome to come and snap their own photos.)

● 8:45 PM MIHS Group Photo in Times Square (Families will have the option to  purchase online. Families in NYC are welcome to come and snap their own photos.) 

 

Tuesday, November 21 

● MIHS Band rehearsal day and sightseeing 

● 6:30 PM (Curtain 7:00 PM) MIHS Band watches Broadway Musical: Back To The  Future (Also for families who purchased tickets. Currently sold out on Students on  Broadway site, but a band family has 2 tickets they cannot use and would like to sell. For  more information about those tickets contact Leslie Kinder at lskinder@comcast.net) 

 

Wednesday, November 22 

● 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Central Park Concert, Naumburg Bandshell (Free to the public. Families in NYC have the opportunity to watch the MIHS Band perform.) 

● 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Macy's Thanksgiving Eve Balloon Inflation between 77th and  81st Streets and between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue (Families can get a  sneak peak of the parade balloons) 

● 7:30 PM (Curtain 8:00 PM) Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the  Rockettes (Families can purchase tickets for the performance through Students on  Broadway. This is for families only, band students will be asleep!) 

 

Thursday, November 23 – Thanksgiving Day "The BIG Day" 

● 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM 97th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ●

Ways to watch the parade: 

○ For those at home, watch on NBC starting at 8:30 AM PST (This is a taped broadcast on our local station due to the time difference.) 

○ For those on the Family and Friends package at the Residence Inn, watch from the second floor ballroom