The Bensen High School Marching Band will be visiting Northwest Washington in July and will be marching in the Blaine 4th of July parade near the U.S.-Canada border. Every three years, the Bensen High School Marching Band from Bensen, Minnesota, takes a large trip over the 4th of July. They're visiting from a small rural community in West Central Minnesota..
The band has traveled to Boston, New York, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego and Los Angeles. This will be the band’s first trip to the Northwest. “This year there will be band members where this will be their first time to see a mountain or the ocean,” said Brock Duncan, band director since 1991.
There will be 60 members of the 90-student band traveling this summer along with 15 staff and chaperones. High school marching band competition is a tradition in Minnesota and the Bensen band has been competing and performing in parades for over 30 years, participating in 8-10 parades every June. “The travel agent planning their itinerary suggested the Blaine Old Fashioned 4th of July Parade,” Brock said, when asked how they chose this event.
This will be the only parade they will participate in while visiting the Northwest. They will be enjoying other activities around the state, including whitewater rafting in Cashmere, visiting the Space Needle as well as other sites in Seattle and whale watching in Bellingham. The band will be heading back to Minnesota by bus immediately after participating in the 4th of July parade.
The City of Blaine is proud to welcome the group to march in parade honoring our United States.
