FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — The beat of the drums may be loud, but the message from E.E. Smith High School’s Magnificent Marching Machine is simple: help us get to Chicago.
The nationally recognized Fayetteville high-stepping high school marching band has been invited to perform in the 2026 Chicago Thanksgiving Parade, giving more than 100 student musicians the opportunity to represent not only Fayetteville but also the entire state of North Carolina in one of the country’s longest-running Thanksgiving Day parades.
High Point pledges to bring passion, positivity and power to America’s United States Pageant
Now, the band is racing against the clock. With less than four months until the parade, the Magnificent Marching Machine is working to raise $100,000 to cover transportation, hotel stays, meals and other travel expenses for approximately 110 students and staff.
“This is a big deal,” said band director Adam Sobers. “We’re hoping to give them the opportunity to tour the Obama Presidential Center, which just opened. And just getting out of North Carolina. A lot of folks in our community don’t get away until college.”…