All Your Questions Answered about Mira Mesa High School’s 27th Annual Band Review and Field Tournament Saturday, November 2, 2019

By Pam Stevens

  1. What’s all that noise coming from MM High, and why is traffic closed down on MM Blvd in the middle of the day?

Answer: It’s a Band Tournament! Bands and Color Guards from all over San Diego and elsewhere in Southern California march in a mid-day parade on Mira Mesa Boulevard, approximately from Westonhill to Marauder Way, and perform their field shows in competition at Mira Mesa High School all day long! The parade is free to watch, tickets are sold to enter the stadium to watch the field shows. People buying field show tickets get in and out privileges, so you can come and go. There are refreshment stands on campus and watching the field shows is great family entertainment for all ages. It’s possible to go watch the field shows for an hour or see and just see the bands in a particular division, or to make a day of it. Small bands compete in the morning before the parade, bigger bands (like Mira Mesa High and Mt. Carmel High from Rancho Penasquitos) compete in afternoon and evening.

  1. Where do you park if you want to watch the parade or the field shows?

Answer:  If you live close to the parade route or to MMHS for the field shows, walk! There is no spectator parking on campus. Otherwise, plan to drive to somewhere near Mira Mesa High School and park on a side street either north or south of Mira Mesa Boulevard.

 

  1. How much does it cost to watch the field shows? What is happening when? When does Mira Mesa High march in the parade and when does Mira Mesa High Sapphire Sound perform their field show?

Answer (from the Sapphire Sound’s article published in Mira Mesa Living):

 

This day long event consists of a morning Field Show with Bands in size 30 – 90, a midday Band Review that takes place on Mira Mesa Blvd, and an evening Field Show where the Bands are some of the largest in Southern California. We will have several vendors onsite selling food, snacks, and drinks. We invite you to come join us and enjoy watching these wonderful field performances by talented high school students!

Details about the AM Field Tournament:

  • The AM Field Tournament will begin at 8:30am with the 1A division schools and finish at 12:00 pm with the 3A division schools.
  • Tickets to the AM Field Tournament are $10 per person. Children 3 and under are free.
  • 1A – 3A Field Show Awards Ceremony is at 2:30 pm in the Stadium.

Details about the Band Reviews (Parade):

  • This event takes place on Mira Mesa Blvd and is a free event.
  • The Band Review begins at 1:00 pm and concludes with our own Mira Mesa HS Sapphire Sound at 2:15 pm.
  • Parade Awards Ceremony is at 2:30 pm in the Stadium.

Details about the PM Field Tournament:

  • The PM Field Tournament will begin at 4:30 pm with the 4A division schools and finish with the 6A division schools, which includes Mira Mesa HS Sapphire Sound performing at 8:15 pm.
  • Tickets to the PM Field Tournament are $15 General Admission, $12 for Seniors and Military with ID. Children 3 and under are free.
  • 4A-6A Field Show Awards Ceremony is at 9:45 pm in the Stadium.

For further Tournament details and information about upcoming Sapphire Sound events, see www.miramesabands.org.