Seventeen bands will compete at Russellville High School Saturday for the Tri-State Kudzu Klassic “Festival of Bands” – representing 1,900 performers.

“It’s going to be fun,” said RHS band director Jeremy Willis. “You get to see a lot of different styles and sizes of bands … We have a couple small bands and a couple large bands. The smallest band is 30 (Cherokee), and then our largest competing band is Austin, at 145.”

The following bands will compete: Athens High School, Athens; Austin High School, Decatur; Brewer High School, Somerville; Corinth High School, Corinth, Miss.; Hamilton High School, Hamilton; Florence High School, Florence; Grissom High School, Huntsville; Winston County High School, Double Springs; Hanceville High School, Hanceville; Huntsville High School, Huntsville; Cherokee High School, Cherokee; West Limestone High School, Lester; Dora High School, Dora; Thomasville High School, Thomasville; Brooks High School, Killen; Lawrence County High School, Moulton; and Priceville High School, Decatur.

“The new (field) is going to be cool for the people performing,” said band director Jeremy Willis. “A lot of them have never performed on turf.”

Russellville’s Marching Hundred and the UNA Pride of Dixie will perform in exhibition at the Klassic. As an alum, Willis said he is particularly looking forward to UNA’s performance, which he said people will really enjoy. “They are performing after the dinner break at 5:30 p.m. … I marched there five years; I love what they do, and I love how they sound. They’re really good – I’d put them up there with any band in the country.”

The welcoming ceremonies will begin at 1:50 p.m. with the National Anthem, and the first band will take the field about 2 p.m. The Russellville Marching Hundred will perform in exhibition about 8:15 p.m., immediately preceding the awards ceremony.

Admission to the Klassic will be $5. (Children ages 6 and under get in free). Ticket gate will be the upper gate behind the press box.

Parking will be $5 and includes one program. Handicapped parking and seating are also available. The concession stand will also be open.

Willis said the afternoon of bands will be enjoyable entertainment for all ages.

“This is a really clean form of entertainment. You don’t have to worry about risqué dance moves or cuss words or anything like that,” Willis pointed out. “It’s something you can bring your children to and not have to worry … and I think kids are just entranced by all the moving parts and loud sounds and color. That can be really fun for them.”