Niwot High band marches in Longmont Veterans Day parade

All around the country, we honor and thank United States Veterans for their military service on November 11. This originated after World War I to commemorate the armistice reached during the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

Every year in honor of Veterans Day, the Niwot High School "Pride of Niwot" Marching Band marches in full uniform down Main Street in downtown Longmont playing, and singing the lyrics, to "The Army Song" (also known as "The Caissons Go Rolling Along"). This year was no exception. All the high school bands in the St. Vrain Valley School District marched and played their tribute songs to the various branches of the U.S. military on Saturday, Nov. 11.

Prior to the parade stepping off at 11:11 a.m. on Nov. 11, all St. Vrain Valley School District bands in attendance, including Niwot, Lyons, Erie, Mead, and Frederick, played various pep-tunes and cadences for each other. The comradery was high Saturday as students and staff prepared to honor those who have fought for our country, and each band maintained that energy as they marched down Main Street and Coffman Street between 9th and 3rd Avenues.

The Longmont parade was the last opportunity for Niwot High School Marching Band seniors to perform while wearing their marching band uniforms, which made the parade extra special as they played their hearts out, not only for our local veterans, but for themselves. They will have one other parade performance this season in Longmont during the Holiday Parade of Lights, where NHS and Silver Creek High School will march in "ugly holiday sweaters" on Saturday Dec. 9.