AES
500 Festival Parade

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Web: 500festival.com

Email: Contact Us

If you're interested in entering your band in the AES 500 Festival Parade, please request an application at the contact info above.

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Held on the day prior to the world's largest single-day sporting event, the AES 500 Festival Parade has grown to be one of the signature parades held in the United States each year. The 33 starting drivers of the Indianapolis 500 serve as honorary grand marshals, riding in the traditional rows of three, with the winner of the pole position bringing up the rear. Marching bands, celebrities, costumed characters, patriotic units, spectacular floats and giant helium balloons fill the streets to celebrate the legendary Indianapolis 500 race.

As one of the few parades boasting live national television coverage, the AES 500 Festival Parade is an exciting experience for marching bands. More than 200,000 spectators line the streets of downtown Indianapolis, joined by more than one million television viewers from around the country. The AES 500 Festival Parade is telecast nationally on Peacock and locally to the Indianapolis market on NBC affiliate WTHR Channel 13.

The 2-mile parade route travels through downtown Indianapolis, taking a U-shaped path down Pennsylvania Street, across Washington Street and up Meridian Street through Monument Circle.

• 38th Infantry Division Band, Indiana Army National Guard, Indianapolis, IN
• Anderson High School Marching Highlanders, Anderson, IN
• Belleville East High School Marching Lancers, Belleville, IL
• Bi-County Marching Band, Marshall County and Starke County, IN
• Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps, Fairfield, OH
• Clark County High School Marching Indians, Kahoka, MO
• Indiana All-Star Marching Band, National Band Association, Zionsville, IN
• Indianapolis Public Schools All City Marching Band, Indianapolis, IN
• Jac-Cen-Del High School Band, Flag Corps and Dance Team, Osgood, IN
• Lewis Cass High School Marching Kings, Walton, IN
• Maconaquah High School Marching Braves, Bunker Hill, IN
• Portage High School Pride of Portage Marching Band, Portage, IN
• Purdue University "All-American" Marching Band, West Lafayette, IN
• Speedway 500 Regiment, Speedway High School, Speedway, IN

Bands traveling to Indianapolis for the AES 500 Festival Parade can take advantage of numerous attractions and additional performance opportunities in the area, including:

• The Indianapolis 500 race, and possible participation in the pre-race parade of bands on the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• The American Legion 500 Festival Memorial Service
• Events and activities taking place in Indianapolis on race weekend

• Tickets for the 2023 AES 500 Festival Parade will go on sale in March 2023.

Saturday, May 27, 2023
Saturday, May 25, 2024
(Always held the last Saturday in May, the day before the Indianapolis 500)

Web: 500festival.com

Email: Contact Us

If you're interested in entering your band in the AES 500 Festival Parade, please request an application at the contact info above.