BGSU Falcon Marching Band making historic trip to perform in Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – For the first time in its 102-year history, the Bowling Green State University Falcon Marching Band – one of the nation’s largest college bands – is traveling to Ireland to perform in the iconic St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin on March 17.

The Falcon Marching Band will be one of only three college marching bands performing in the parade, which winds through Ireland’s capital city for about two miles, typically drawing half a million spectators.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for BGSU students, and I am thrilled that our incredibly talented Falcon Marching Band members are being given the chance to showcase their talent and poise on a global stage,” said Jon Waters, a professor and the director of marching and athletic bands. “Marching band is about so much more than music and performing. These students are learning valuable life skills, and this cultural experience will only enhance that. 

“I believe our students should leave the University with two pieces of paper – a diploma and a passport. This trip will fulfill that philosophical endeavor for me as an educator.”

Of the band’s record 425 members, 300 students, faculty and staff are making the self-funded international journey. The opportunity demonstrates the University’s commitment to elevating the student experience, ranked No.1 in Ohio by The Wall Street Journal for two consecutive years. 

This year’s Falcon Marching Band is the largest in BGSU history, garnering widespread support and enthusiasm across the University and larger community. The band has grown by hundreds of students each year since 2022, coinciding with the energy, creativity and leadership Waters has brought to the organization. Additionally, 75% of the band consists of majors outside of music, signifying its inclusive environment and broad appeal to students across the learning community.

The band recently was recognized as one of the nation’s standout college bands by U.S. News & World Report.

Waters said applying to perform in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade began over a year ago and included a competitive application review and selection process. To prepare for the trip, students are enrolled in a two-credit-hour course on Irish history, traditions, customs and culture. They’re also rehearsing weekly to learn new music and hone their marching skills.

“I want the students to travel with a deeper purpose, and this class is designed to prepare them for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Waters said.

The band departs Bowling Green on March 12 and arrives in Ireland the following day. They’ll spend two days exploring the city of Killarney before traveling to Dublin on March 16.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins at noon on March 17. The Falcon Marching Band will join the more than 4,000 parade participants from across the globe in the treasured Irish tradition.

For BGSU senior Sydney Tabor, the trip represents the culmination of a profound three-year experience in the Falcon Marching Band. 

Through band, she’s built a strong social network and credits her major in visual communication technology to a band friend, who helped her discover it better aligned with her career aspirations than her initial major in marketing.

“Falcon Marching Band has been a huge driving force for my success at BGSU,” Tabor said. “To be able to showcase the amount of hard work and dedication that we put into our performances on a global stage is incredibly special.

“This will be my last opportunity to march with the Falcon Marching Band. The experience is going to be very sentimental to me, but, at the same time, it feels like the perfect way to end my senior year.”