July 17, 2010 - Children's Museum Family Folk Arts Festival

The 2010 Family Folk Festival was held at the Children's Museum at Baggs Square.

The Festival featured four cultural groups found in the Mohawk Valley...Native American, Italian, Bosnian, and African.
La Banda Rossa represented Utica's Italian Heritage.

We demonstrated our procession formation as we entered the room then sat down for a concert of our Italian music.





Our audience consisted of Bosnian musicians, Iroquois craftsmen along with a tankful of Goldfish and Hank the Snake in the nature room
(the exhibits at the Children's Museum are wonderful).

WKTV sent a camera and we were on the Sunday morning newscast.

Drummer Dan William's wife and daughter joined in the fun and made Haudenosaunee headresses, and clarinetist Patricia Iagnocco created a "No-Face" Cornhusk Doll with Oneida Nation member Birdy Burdick.

And rumor has it that shortly after this photo was taken and the photographer had left the room - our Professoressa Arlene Iagnocco learned and performed a traditional Bosnian Folk Dance accompanied by the MAH Bosnian Band - only in Utica!

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!

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Family Folk Arts Festival

July 16, 2010 - Ilion Doo Dah Parade

The march route for the Ilion Doo-Dah Parade was changed this year. Instead of starting and ending near Remington Arms - we stepped off a little further north on Philip St.

This made the parade a tad shorter and it was all downhill. It was just as crowded as ever along the whole route.

We followed an 1844 Fire Pumper and the kids on the float were all armed with super-soaker squirt guns which they used to spray the spectators. Half-way down West St. - they were surprise-attacked by other kids also armed with super-soakers - and that is VERY DOO-DAH! Participation and Fun!

The biggest crowd was as usual in front of the Elks Club - now closer to the end of the route than the beginning and a welcome sight as always - a wild night in Ilion. We were even treated to a ride back to our cars on shuttle buses.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!

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Ilion Doo-Dah Parade

July 11, 2010 - Boilermaker Road Race Utica, NY

This year to date we have played twice as many parades as concerts. What a switch it was to sit and play while our "audience" (13000 runners) literally is racing past us!

We also played Marcia Reale 17 times (John Piazza kept count) as the wheelchair contestants sped by.

Because we were stationed only 2 miles from the start - it didn't take long for the runners to appear - but once they came it was continuous for about 45 minutes.

Previous years we always had runners using both sides of the median and running right up to Arlene to have a little dance, cheer, and applaud us.

This year the intersection just before us was barricaded with yellow tape and had a police car there forcing the runners to stay in the lane furthest from us.

Since we part of the International Mile, we we playing many festive Italian songs...but the minute we started "The Washington Post March" - the runners charged across the median so they could run as close as possible to our Band.
What a fun concert- the dress code was a little more relaxed to fit the event...white shirt, shorts, no ties and red, white and green Italian beads.

The weather was perfect and trombonist, Geno Brown, showed up sporting a handsome handlebar moustache.
A Wonderful Summer Event!




VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!

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Boilermaker Road Race

July 10, 2010 - NY Mills Bell Parade

We stepped off on Elm St. at 5pm for the New York Mills Bell Festival Parade down Main St.

We followed a whole contingent of fire trucks all sounding their sirens at once.

Although the crowd was sparce at the beginning, it made up for it as we passed by the Festival grounds. Lots of smiling faces greeted us as Capo Richard picked the best possible march to play "Bravura!" as we paraded by ending on the banks of Twin Ponds.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

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Bell Parade

July 4th, 2010 - Utica Parade

At 6:00pm on July 4th it was sunny and hot as The Red Band stepped off at Our Lady of Lourdes Church to lead the Parade down Genesee St.

We stopped at the reviewing stand and Arlene jumped out of our "Official Car" to conduct us in the playing of the National Anthem.

We continued the parade and made the turn onto the Parkway. Usually this nice, shaded area is packed with spectators - not so this year. Maybe because the 4th was on Sunday in the middle of the long weekend - many people were still out of town and the rest were over at the other side of town at Proctor Park waiting for the fireworks to begin.

This year was a noticeably low turnout - although those in attendance graciously clapped in cadence to our beat...cheering and waving us on.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

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July 4th parade

June 18, 2010 - Deerfield Field Days

Our Concert in the Whitesboro Village Green this past Wednesday had been cancelled due to torrential rain - but we were back to perform under ideal conditions on Friday for Deerfield's Firemen Field Day Parade.
As the Red Band stepped off at 7:00 to lead the parade - the crowds were noticeably sparse during the first half - but made up for it the last half of the parade right until we entered the grounds amid the roar of the crowd - the rides - the aroma of the food stand - "Summer Has Begun"!

We lined up in front of the stage and continued to play as each color guard unit led their Fire Department proudly and invigorated in step with our music.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

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Deerfield Parade

June 12-13, 2010 - St. Anthony Church Festival - Utica, NY

As we were setting up for the Saturday night concert to honor St. Anthony - we were presented with a 3rd Place Trophy we had won in the Dolgeville Violet Parade earlier that day!! By nightfall the rain was a steady downpour and the crowd was all huddled under the tent to enjoy our Italian music.

At one of the tables was our newest fan, Miss Lena Elizabeth Galime, who came to hear Daddy Michael and Aunt Julia in our Saxophone section and Grandpa Al on 1st Trumpet - who gave a superb solo on "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes



Pat Santacroce once again introduced "The Beer Barrel Polka" with his story of Rosamunda - and if you listen carefully to the singing section we've changed the lyrics just enough to honor her.

Although the sky was threatening to rain again on Sunday morning - St. Anthony pulled it off again. When His Statue comes out of the Church to process through the streets of East Utica - it does not rain.

The Parishioners, ladies with the large basket of St. Anthony's bread, an escort of 3 Knights of St. John, and the Statue of St. Anthony followed by The Red Band proceeded up St. Anthony Street.


Once there we stopped at the corner of Mary Street to play "Marche Reale" for the Tocco Family. They place 2 empty chairs to represent the departed Frank and his wife. They were followers of St. Anthony, and Frank was a long-time cherished member of the Red Band Family.
We also played "Marche Reale" in front of the homes that display pictures or a Statue of St. Anthony.

This tradition - a vital part of the Procession - has been going on for decades. Come to think of it - for over 100 Years!

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

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St. Anthony's Church Festival

June 12, 2010 - Dolgeville Violet Festival

It was pouring rain as we gathered on Wolf St. in Dolgeville before the start of the parade. We found shelter under a RV awning and on a nearby porch.

The rain stopped as soon as we lined up and the Violet Parade began.

The rain did not deter the cheerful spectators - many of them sporting purple attire. We also noted the large number of houses decked out with purple bunting. Even the Red Band joined in. Our director, Arlene, hung little baskets of violets from the side mirrors of the car and draped purple and white daisies along the spoiler on the trunk.




"Dolgeville's Own - Lenore Gabriel" was again hailed as we passed the reviewing stand and after the parade she had us over for refreshments (including Dan Falatico's famous sausage and peppers) before our long trip home.


We found out later that day that we had won a 3rd place trophy!

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

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Dolgeville Violet Festival Parade

Violet Parade