The Spartan Marching Band of Greenbrier East High School began its fall parade and competition season by participating in the annual Greenbrier Valley Shrine Parade in downtown Lewisburg on Saturday, Sept. 23, and continued with two parades the following week.

The Spartans also marched in the annual Greenbrier East High School  Homecoming parade in Fairlea as well as the Autumnfest parade in Frankford.

On Oct. 7, the band will march in the Mountain State Forest Festival parade and participate in the Forest Festival Marching Band Classic that evening for the first competitions of the season.

Then, on Oct. 14, The Spartans will compete in the Musselman Invitation  Field Competition in Inwood in the eastern panhandle and Oct. 21, the Greenbrier East students will participate in the annual West Virginia Invitational High School Band competition, sponsored by the WV Department of Culture and History, at University of Charleston field that morning and later that afternoon in the Tournament of Bands Chapter Championships in Fairmont.

The competition season will conclude, pending qualification through placements in the previous competitions, by marching in the Atlantic Coast Championship TOB in Hershey, PA, on Oct. 28 and 29.

The conclusion of the parade season will be Dec. 1, 2, and 4 when the Spartan Band plans to march in the Christmas parades in downtown Alderson, Lewisburg, Ronceverte, and White Sulphur Springs.

To help fund this competition season, the Greenbrier East Music Boosters organization is conducting a Mega Raffle with the proceeds helping to pay student fees and costs connected with the competitions and the travel to those competitions. More than 35 prizes are being offered on the raffle which will conclude on Oct. 14.