Make wishtv.com your home page

Muncie Central wins Indiana State Fair Band Day competition

Contestants gather the night of Aug. 6, 2021, for the announcement of the winners in the Indiana State Fair Band Day competition in Indianapolis. (WISH Photo/Andy Garrison)

LATEST: Muncie Central won the Indiana State Fair Band Day competition, reports News 8 photographer Andy Garrison. Muncie Central last won the contest in 2014.

Here is the Top 10, as provided by Sharon Smith, state fair director of communications:

  1. Muncie Central High School.
  2. Centerville Senior High School.
  3. Winchester Community High School.
  4. Jay County High School.
  5. Kokomo High School.
  6. Lebanon High School.
  7. Northeastern High School.
  8. West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School.
  9. Decatur County Greensburg Marching Band.
  10. Marion High School

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Winchester Community High School, the winningest entrant in the Indiana State Fair Band Day contest in the past decade, was named one of the 16 finalist in this year’s contest.

The fair was canceled in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, and the last Band Day champion, Anderson High School, had to cancel plans to perform this year due to COVID-19 quarantines of some students.

Bands performed Friday morning and afternoon, leading to a selection of 16 to perform a second time on Friday night.

Here are the finalists, in the order presented by the state fair in a news release:

  • Muncie Central High School.
  • Winchester Community High School.
  • Centerville High School.
  • Jay County High School.
  • Kokomo High School.
  • Lebanon High School.
  • Northeastern High School.
  • West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School.
  • Decatur County Greensburg Marching Band.
  • Montgomery County United.
  • Richmond High School.
  • Yorktown High School.
  • Marion High School.
  • Monroe Central Junior-Senior High School.
  • Tipton High School.
  • Speedway High School.

The evening contest was to begin at 8 p.m. at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand and last through about 11 p.m., with the awards ceremony following.

Winchester, in the past decade, won the Band Day contest in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. A list of past winners is posted online.