The Russellville High School Marching Panthers will host their 41st annual Show of Bands on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Historic Rhea Stadium (located at the corner of E. 9th and Summer Street in the Russellville Historic District). Bands from Crittenden County High School, Dawson Springs High School, Logan County High School, Butler County High School, and Christian County High School will be competing in the event, which will kick off at 4:45 p.m. with the singing of the national anthem.
At 5 p.m., there will be a recognition ceremony for the 17 seniors who are part of the RHS Marching Panthers: Olivia Bollenbecker, Noah Brown, Cecile Christy, Amariah Christy, Brendan Farlee, Dakota Hamilton, Jayden Hammer, Kaleigh Hughes, Marta Hughes, Madison Hyams, Brett Kinser, Jackson Rust, Jocelyn Morris, Laura Mullen, Allison Tatum, MyDuyen Tran, and Brandy West.
The first band will take the field in competition around 6 p.m. After the last competing band has performed, the RHS Marching Panthers will perform an exhibition of their 2019 show “1000 Cranes” (at approximately 7:30 p.m.)
Brian Brown serves as director of the RHS Marching Panthers, and Trevor Cardwell is the assistant director. Jocelyn Morris is the Field Commander.
The Show of Bands event is open to the general public. Admission is $7 per person (there is no charge for children aged 5 and under). Commemorative programs featuring photos of the RHS Marching Panthers, senior ads, shout-outs, and information about the competing bands will be available for $5.
The RHS Band Boosters will have plenty of concessions available for sale to those attending the show, including ribeye sandwiches, pork chop sandwiches, hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, candy, drinks, and, of course, their famous walkin’ tacos!
Everyone in the community is encouraged to come out and enjoy this special night of Kentucky high school marching band competition. Proceeds go to support the RHS Marching Panthers band. This year’s RHS Band Boosters officers are: Wendy Hammer, president; Valerie Beard, vice president; LeeAnna Kondracki, treasurer; Misty Farwick, recording secretary; and Donna Wilkerson, public relations secretary.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the first public event at Historic Rhea Stadium, that being a football game between the Russellville Panthers and the Bowling Green Purples on Thanksgiving Day in November 1939 (the game ended in a 6-6 tie). The now iconic stadium was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) as part of the President Roosevelt’s New Deal Program in the late 1930s.
The WPA employed millions of individuals who would have otherwise been out of work during the Great Depression, tasking them with the construction of various public buildings, roads, and other facilities such as Historic Rhea Stadium. The unique art deco style venue has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2008.
Photos attached: the RHS Marching Panthers performing the national anthem before the first home football game against Glasgow High School. Photo credits - Jacob Wilkerson, RHS Panther yearbook staff.