Cary Band day is a very large event, and if you are new to Cary Band Day it can be hard to see how all of the pieces fit together and where you can help. This guide will show you all of the places you can volunteer and how it fits into the overall picture. One thing to keep in mind is that every one of these areas already has a leader who will tell you exactly what you need to do. We will look at it from two perspectives - the competing bands and the spectators.

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Competing Bands

 

When bands first arrive, sometimes their equipment trucks get here a little early and we aren’t ready to park them on campus yet, so we have the Pit Crew Check In at Adams Elementary where they go until we can let them park on campus. (If you like to sit in a chair and read a book, this is the position for you).

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On the day of Cary Band Day, the Town of Cary blocks off Walnut St in front of the school so we can park equipment vehicles from the visiting bands. The Pit/Prop Welcome at Walnut Street moves the traffic cones and barricades to allow all visiting band busses and equipment vehicles on to Walnut St from the Cary Towne Blvd. intersection.

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Once on campus the bands check in the Band Host Tent and are given a set of Band Hosts to guide them around campus and to stay with the band until after their performance. This position is a favorite of students, but we need adults to work during times when the Cary Band is getting ready to perform. Maps are provided and there are only a few places the bands need to go.

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The band busses make their way behind the school to the main parking lot where Bus Parking helps them know where to park in order to ensure we can fit all of the busses during the day.

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While the bands are warming up, they often need water. The Water Coordinator ensures that water is available in the warm up areas.

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In normal years we have Gators and trailers to help move band equipment to the stadium, but this year there are supply chain issues so we can’t get the number of trailers we need. To provide bands assistance we have a new position of Pit/Prop Helpers who will meet up with the bands about 1 hour and 15 minutes before their performance time to provide any extra hands to move pit instruments or props to and from the field.

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On their way to the stadium we have one choke point in front of the Auditorium where bands need to head in both directions, but we can only fit one band at a time. The Band Flow Control ensures that bands don’t collide into each other and simply asks one band to wait as the other band passes through.

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When bands are ready to enter the stadium, the band enters in two different ways. The Pit and any props enter through Gate Security (the drive gate into the stadium) while the band enters through one of the Rope Holders @ the Stadium Gate positions (between Concessions and the locker rooms). These positions open the gates for the band and hold ropes to prevent spectators from walking in front of the bands. Once the band is ready to leave the field, they will leave through another set of Rope Holders @ the Stadium Gate positions.

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After a performance, the Band Directors often like to get together to relax with their colleagues. We provide the Director’s Hospitality Tent, which in our case is really a room in the school, to provide snacks and refreshments and place for a little respite.

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Once a band’s equipment trucks are ready to leave campus, the Pit Crew Exit moves the cones and barricades on Walnut St going onto Maynard so they can leave.

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Spectators

 

This year all of the spectator parking is offsite. However, we do have handicap parking in the main parking lot. Parking controls who gets to park on campus and who doesn’t. Note, volunteers also get to park on campus in the “graveyard” - the grassy area behind the gym. Please enter through the Maynard St. entrance by the stadium and slowly drive around the parking lot back to the "graveyard."

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Spectators first stop at Tickets and Programs to buy their ticket to get in and to get their complimentary program. They also can buy their tickets online. 

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Once inside spectators can spend their money in a number of ways. We staff Concessions where they can buy all kinds of food and drinks. We also have Candy Grams where they can buy little gifts of candy for their band students, which are delivered to the bands at the end of the night. We also have a bake sale with various treats.

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Inside the stadium we ensure that things run smoothly in the stands by having Rope Holders who simply hold ropes across the entrances to the stands while bands are performing so that people aren’t walking in front of other spectators during performances. We also have Pressbox Security which ensures that people do not try to enter the pressbox for some better seats or get on the cement pad in front of it, to ensure they don’t block the judge’s views.

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General Help

 

We also have several other ways you can help that impact all people at the event.

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We have a First Aid area for anyone needing assistance. The day before the event we have Set Up, and the day after we have Clean Up. If you want to help but aren’t sure where you can be the most help you can sign up to be one of the Helping Hands and we can put you wherever the need arises.

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Questions about volunteering? Contact cbday_volunteers@caryband.org.