From summer band camp and daily morning practices to halftime performances at every home football game, the West Central Valley Marching Band has been preparing for a more competitive fall season.

The Marching Wildcats are competing tomorrow at the Valleyfest Day Show happening at Valley High School in Des Moines. They will be performing their “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed show at 8 a.m. Band Director Josh Kassmeyer says this will be their first time competing against other bands for placings and awards.

Junior Rylie Hutton, the band’s drum major, shares what she thinks is the most difficult aspect of marching band, “You always have to keep in line with everybody else and sometimes it’s hard because not everybody does the correct thing. And so then you have to follow the incorrectness to keep the form and it’s just like your brain is telling you, ‘You have to,’ but it’s hard. I think that’s probably the hardest part of it is just keeping to form.”

Tickets to attend the day show only is $10, and $15 for the entire competition. Student tickets are $5, kids five and under are free, and those 55 and older receive a $2 discount.