PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Let’s have a parade! The Tarpon Springs High School Outdoor Performance Ensemble was selected to perform in the 2022 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Not only will the group represent the state of Florida, but the band will get to participate in the beloved annual holiday tradition for the second time. Their first performance took place during the 2013 parade.

Each year, the Macy’s Parade Band Committee looks for bands that have the stage presence and musical expertise to captivate the streets of New York City and millions of viewers across the country. Tarpon Springs High School was selected from more than 100 applicants as one of nine selected bands to march in the 96th edition of the annual holiday spectacle.

“The student leaders of Tarpon Springs Outdoor Performance Ensemble are among the finest musicians in the country, always striving to elevate and explore the boundaries of what is possible in the marching arts,” said Wesley Whatley, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade creative producer. “Only a small handful of programs achieve this level of excellence and Macy’s Band Selection Committee is honored to have Tarpon Springs join our ranks once again on Thanksgiving 2022!”

In preparation for their trip to the Big Apple, band members will spend the next 18 months planning and rehearsing their performance.

“We are incredibly humbled and honored to have been selected to represent our school, community, and our great state of Florida in the 96th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We feel fortunate to have the opportunity to provide this once-in-a-lifetime stage for our Tarpon Springs student performers,” said Tarpon Springs High School Band Director Kevin Ford. “We look forward to the honor of performing for the nation and celebrating the start of the holiday season Thanksgiving 2022!”

You’ll be able to see the Tarpon Springs Outdoor Performance Ensemble during the parade on Nov. 24, 2022, on News Channel 8.