The Joe E. Newsome Wolfpack Marching Band has been selected to march in the Dublin, Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in 2027!
John Owen Davis II, director of bands, said, “It’s a tremendous honor to be accepted to perform and be selected from among some of the finest bands in the country, and we are so excited to perform and experience this incredible opportunity.”
Only 10 bands are selected for the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in 2026, of which two were at the U.S. collegiate level, the University of Illinois Marching Illini and the Ohio State University Marching Band, and six U.S. high school level bands.
The Newsome Marching Band participates locally in the Brandon 4th of July Parade and Brandon Parade of Lights. They received the Best Band award in the 2026 Brandon Parade of Lights. The Ireland trip in 2027 will be their first international trip.
Davis led the band on a stateside warm-up travel trip in January to march the Collegiate Football Playoff Sugar Bowl Parade in New Orleans, Louisiana. In this trip, they performed a static performance in the historic Jackson Square followed by the parade, where they won Best Music and Best Marching in their class and second place overall. This relatively short trip provided the band the confidence to move forward with an overseas adventure.
There is an unprecedented logistical expense in sending only half the band to represent the United States in Ireland, and the band hopes to bring more. The Newsome Band Boosters will be hosting Saint Patrick’s Day-themed fundraisers to help offset the cost. The first event is a Shamrock Skeet Shoot at the FishHawk Sporting Clays, located at 13505 Hobson Simmons Rd. in Lithia, on Sunday, April 19, starting at 1 p.m. Participation is open to the community where teams of 4 will compete for prizes.
To register for the event, go to www.newsomeband.org/ireland or reach out to fundraising@newsomeband.org, as electronic registration will open closer to the event.
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