The King’s Fork High School Marching Bulldogs welcome the public to their doghouse at their annual band competition.

The school’s marching band will host its second Kennel Classic on Nov. 5. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the performances beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets are $8 for the event.

Ten high school bands will participate in the high-step marching competition.

“It’s a great experience to watch these students,” said King’s Fork band director Jason Taylor. “It’s nice to the groups performing.”

Bands of all different sizes will compete at the event, and judges will assess their performances based on a number of criteria, including musicianship, showmanship and precision.

Various awards will be handed out for judging categories, and the band with the highest number of overall points will be given an award as well.

In addition to the high school competition, the marching bands from Hampton University and Norfolk State University will perform for the crowd.

“They’re really good local bands,” Taylor said.

While they are there to put on a show, he added, having the college bands perform also shows the high schoolers that they can continue marching in college.

All of the funds raised at the Kennel Classic go to King’s Fork’s marching band.

“This is a big fundraiser for our group to help us raise money for uniforms and additional expenses,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the bands will perform several different genres of music from a variety of time periods.

“It’s a great opportunity for anyone who likes music,” he said.

Taylor said the students work tirelessly on the shows, and it’s great for them to have the community’s support.

“It’s huge for the students that work so hard that the community shows they think so much of them,” he said.

For more information, call King’s Fork High School at 923-5240 or email Jason Taylor at jastaylor@spsk12.net.