Sanford High School will host the Maine State Marching Band Finals on Saturday, October 25, at Alumni Stadium, marking the fourth consecutive year the school has welcomed bands from across Maine and New Hampshire to compete. The competition begins at 4:00 p.m., with the Sanford High School marching band scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. There is an admission fee. Eleven bands will compete throughout the evening, including Merrimack Valley, Lake Region, Biddeford, Lawrence, Blue Hawks, Westbrook, Old Orchard Beach, South Portland, Wells, Dover, and Sanford. A brief intermission is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Sanford's theme for this year's performance is Echoes of the Earth. As finals week approaches, the band has focused their preparation on execution. "We're doing a lot of energy, a lot of music work, and just really focusing," Sanford junior Morgan Bailey said. "Now that we have the drill ability, we're starting to add the finishing touches." The band is looking to repeat last year's gold medal performance at state finals, where they earned five-star ratings across all categories including Music, General Effect, Color Guard, Percussion, Visual, and Drum Major. This year, the band's path to finals has included five competitions this season, opening at Biddeford High School on September 13, then traveling to UMass Amherst, followed by competitions at South Portland on October 4 and Wells High School on October 18. Sanford has become the natural choice to host the state finals due to its facilities and experience, according to SHS Band Director Hailey Francoeur. Alumni Stadium's combination of ample parking, a turf field, and spacious bleachers makes it an ideal venue for accommodating the bands, spectators, and equipment that a statewide competition requires. For Bailey, this season's highlight came at the US Bands competition at UMass Amherst. "We got to see so many other different schools and stuff, see a bigger community and larger families," Bailey said. That competition resulted in a first-place finish in Division 2A on September 27. This past weekend, the band continued their winning streak by earning four out of five stars in all categories at their MBDA competition. Francoeur emphasized that the band's success wouldn't be possible without the Music Boosters, who provide snacks before every Tuesday and Thursday rehearsal, prepare lunches before Saturday competitions that run from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and help with everything from sewing costumes to hauling trailers. For more information about volunteering for the state finals or supporting the band program, contact Director Hailey Francoeur at Sanford High School.

Sanford High School to Host State Marching Band Finals

Sanford School Department

October 22, 2025

Sanford High School will host the Maine State Marching Band Finals on Saturday, October 25, at Alumni Stadium, marking the fourth consecutive year the school has welcomed bands from across Maine and New Hampshire to compete. The competition begins at 5:00 p.m., with the Sanford High School marching band scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. There is an admission fee.

Eleven bands will compete throughout the evening, including Merrimack Valley, Lake Region, Biddeford, Lawrence, Blue Hawks, Westbrook, Old Orchard Beach, South Portland, Wells, Dover, and Sanford. A brief intermission is scheduled at 6:30 p.m.

Sanford's theme for this year's performance is Echoes of the Earth. As finals week approaches, the band has focused their preparation on execution. "We're doing a lot of energy, a lot of music work, and just really focusing," Sanford junior Morgan Bailey said. "Now that we have the drill ability, we're starting to add the finishing touches."

The band is looking to repeat last year's gold medal performance at state finals, where they earned five-star ratings across all categories including Music, General Effect, Color Guard, Percussion, Visual, and Drum Major.

This year, the band's path to finals has included five competitions this season, opening at Biddeford High School on September 13, then traveling to UMass Amherst, followed by competitions at South Portland on October 4 and Wells High School on October 18.

Sanford has become the natural choice to host the state finals due to its facilities and experience, according to SHS Band Director Hailey Francoeur. Alumni Stadium's combination of ample parking, a turf field, and spacious bleachers makes it an ideal venue for accommodating the bands, spectators, and equipment that a statewide competition requires.

For Bailey, this season's highlight came at the US Bands competition at UMass Amherst. "We got to see so many other different schools and stuff, see a bigger community and larger families," Bailey said. That competition resulted in a first-place finish in Division 2A on September 27. This past weekend, the band continued their winning streak by earning four out of five stars in all categories at their MBDA competition.

Francoeur emphasized that the band's success wouldn't be possible without the Music Boosters, who provide snacks before every Tuesday and Thursday rehearsal, prepare lunches before Saturday competitions that run from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and help with everything from sewing costumes to hauling trailers.

For more information about volunteering for the state finals or supporting the band program, contact Director Hailey Francoeur at Sanford High School.