5th God’s Country Marching Festival Saturday afternoon

By Jeff Berger

Anvil Herald Publisher

For the fifth edition of the God’s Country Marching Festival, the field of competition has grown to 20 bands, and they’ll be performing all afternoon and into the evening this Saturday at Barry Field.

Four 1As, seven 2As, eight 3As and a 4A band will perform, starting at 2 p.m., and running through about 8:00. As always, the Mighty Owl Band is not among the competing bands, but will begin the day’s performances with a 1 p.m. exhibition of their contest show “Dream State.”

Admission to the event is $10 for age 6 and up; it’s free for ages 5 and under. Spectators will be permitted to enter and exit the stands only while bands are not performing.

The Hondo Band Boosters will be operating the concession stand, with all of the usual fare. In addition, shout-outs will be sold, where relatives and friends, for $5 each, can send messages over the public address to their favorite band members while the bands are taking the field.

D’Hanis will march at 2:30, with Sabinal scheduled to perform at 4:00.

This past Saturday, the Hondo band was the champion of Class 3A at the Seguin Marching Festival. The MOB swept the top marks from all five judges – two in music, and one each in visual, percussion and color guard.

Finishing second and third to the MOB in Class 3A were Natalia and Odem.

The UIL Region XI Marching Contest for Conferences 1A-3A will be back at Barry Field once again on Saturday, Oct. 17.

God’s Country

Marching Festival

Sat., Oct. 10, 2025,

Barry Field, Hondo

- - -

1:00 Hondo (exhibition) 3A

2:00 Cotulla 3A

2:15 Rocksprings 1A

2:30 D’Hanis 1A

2:45 Nueces Canyon 1A

3:00 Leakey 1A

3:15 Somerset Ac. Coll. 2A

3:30 La Pryor 2A

3:45 Charlotte 2A

4:00 Sabinal 2A

4:15 Brackett 2A

4:30 Dilley 2A

4:45 Harper 2A

5:00 1A, 2A awards

6:00 Natalia 3A

6:15 Devine 3A

6:30 Carrizo Springs 3A

6:45 Lytle 3A 7:00 Ingram Moore 3A

7:15 Poteet 3A

7:30 Yoakum 3A

7:45 Somerset 4A

8:00 3A, 4A awards

- - -

Music Judges:

  Bob Howard, Leo Garza,

    Brian Hecimovich

Visual Judges:

  Roland Sandoval,

    Alfonso Alvarado

Percussion Judge:

  Jeff Yates