Two of the 14 bands in today’s Citrus Bowl parade in Orlando, Florida, are from Iowa. The Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School marching band is in the Citrus Bowl parade, along with the Southwest Iowa Honor Band which has more 200 musicians from that quadrant of the state.
The football game — the Capital One Bowl — is played on New Year’s Day and features Michigan State and Georgia this year. The parade, though, is held earlier and organizers expect 80,000 people to line the streets of Orlando to see the spectacle. The floats in the parade are covered with oranges, tangerines and grapefruit — part of the citrus theme for the event.
The parade begins at noon Iowa time and is broadcast nationally, although it is taped and aired later in some markets.