The Karns High School band marched in the WIVK Christmas Parade on December 3, 2021, in downtown Knoxville. The downtown Knoxville parade featured over 100 groups. The Karns band was in the very front of the parade behind the grand marshall, leading the way with a rearranged version of “Joy to The World”. Only a few of these groups were marching bands, which made this opportunity even more special.

This parade is important because it exposes the Karns Band to a larger group of people. It’s a chance for the band to represent the Karns community in a positive light. This also gives the band a different and larger audience to perform in front of then normal. Jimbo Crawford the director of bands at Karns Highschool says “Yeah, we jump at any chance we get to show off our group.” By the band having more performance opportunities it not only showcases the group and the community but it helps the band improve as a whole.

This year specifically, Crawford plans to submit pictures from this parade to further the Karns Band. Crawford states, “This year I plan on submitting pictures of this parade to places outside of Knoxville. I want to take the band to other places and be exposed to more people.” Expanding outside of Knoxville benefits the band as a whole. It gives the band a performance opportunity, a chance to showcase their hard work and abilities, and a new and different venue. This could also further the band allowing room for growth and improvement.

The Knoxville Christmas Parade is fun and full of good memories for many members of the band. In comparison to a marching competition, it provides an audience, a chance to perform, and an overall good time. However, the overarching difference between parades and competitions is the absence of judges and the relaxed atmosphere at parades. Crawford states, “I like parades because they are a chance to perform in a low pressure environment.” Parades are a chance for the band to get the experience of a competition without the stress of being judged.