INDIANAPOLIS — The 500 Festival announced 14 marching bands that will perform in the 66th annual AES 500 Festival Parade on Saturday, May 28, as well as a list of featured guests and VIPs who are expected to participate in addition to the traditional 33 starting drivers in the Indianapolis 500 starting field.
The 14 nationally-recognized bands will march the streets of downtown Indianapolis to perform for more than 200,000 expected spectators to help celebrate this year’s theme, Back to Traditions. Racing Forward.
Band lineup
- Anderson High School Marching Highlanders (Anderson, Ind.)
- Bi-County Marching Band, (Marshall County, Starke County, Ind.)
- Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps (Fairfield, Ohio)
- Clark County High School Marching Indians (Kahoka, Mo.)
- Indiana All-Star Marching Band, National Band Association (Zionsville, Ind.)
- Indianapolis Public Schools All City Marching Band (Indianapolis, Ind.)
- Jac-Cen-Del High School Band, Flag Corps, and Dance Team (Osgood, Ind.)
- Lewis Cass Marching Kings, Lewis Cass High School (Walton, Ind.)
- Marching Lancers, Belleville East High School (Belleville, Ill.)
- Marching Braves, Maconaquah High School (Bunker Hill, Ind.)
- Purdue "All-American” Marching Band, Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.)
- Speedway 500 Regiment, Speedway High School (Speedway, Ind.)
- The Pride of Portage Marching Band, Portage High School (Portage, Ind.)
- 38th Infantry Division Band, Indiana National Guard (Indianapolis, Ind.)
VIP guests
The parade will also present multiple featured guests and VIP appearances including actors, civic leaders, members of the 500 Festival Board of Directors, Indianapolis Motor Speedway executives, athletes, and more.
- Tyrese Haliburton – Indiana Pacers Guard
- Kelsey Mitchell and NaLyssa Smith – Indiana Fever
- Lindsay Czarniak – American sports anchor
- Drew Powell – Actor, Gotham (2014-2018)
- Joe Hogsett – Honorable Mayor of Indianapolis
- James Poore – Chair of the 500 Festival Board of Directors
- Rob Pruitt – Immediate Past Chair of the 500 Festival Board of Directors
- Kristina Lund and Kathy Storm – AES Indiana
- Doug Boles – Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Sarah Fisher – American retired IndyCar driver (1999-2010)
- General Daniel R. Hokanson – Chief of National Guard Bureau
- General R. Dale Lyles – 59th Adjutant General of Indiana
- Miss Indiana – Braxton Hiser
- Miss Indiana’s Outstanding Teen – Kate Dimmett
- Officer Patrick McPherson – IMPD Officer of the Year
- Lieutenant Thomas Albrecht – IFD Firefighter of the Year
- Corporal Joshua McCrammer – Marion County Sherriff Deputy of the Year
- Tara and Jeff Homan Family – Authors
- Boomer – Indiana Pacers Mascot
- Freddy Fever – Indiana Fever Mascot
- The World-Famous Budweiser Clydesdales
WTHR will broadcast the parade beginning at noon on Saturday, May 28. The parade will be broadcast nationally on NBC's Peacock Network.
Festivities will start at 11:45 a.m. ET in downtown Indianapolis, with the parade stepping off at noon.
Parade tickets can be purchased at 500festival.com/tickets or by calling 317-614-6400.