Millions are set to travel for Memorial Day weekend this year in what’s expected to be a record-breaking travel season (sound familiar?) and among those taking extra time as a precaution is the Loma Alta High School marching band.
KTLA 5’s Carlos Herrera was live at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Saturday morning, where he encountered the LAHS marching band – and some parent chaperones – bright and early at 6 a.m.
The group was on their way to Washington D.C. to perform in the National Memorial Day Parade, set to take place on Memorial Day, May 26. A total of 52 students and parents were making the trek.
Band director Joe Calderon said that planning the trip took a year-and-a-half.
“We are so excited to represent California as the band this year, and it’s been a great experience,” he said. “It took about a year-and-a-half of planning to get to this day, so we are super excited.”
Traveling with such a large group can be tough, especially during a busy travel period, and Calderon noted that while the lines weren’t too long on Saturday morning, he knew he and his cohort – who aren’t traveling lightly – couldn’t take any chances.
“With the group check-in, you want to do everything together,” he said. “You want to keep all the instruments together…we have oversized marching band equipment…there’s a lot of logistics going on.”
As for the students, one girl who plays “all the saxophones” said she was very excited for the opportunity to represent California in the nation’s capital; another student, a slightly more tired trombone player, remarked that the experience was “cool.”
After some “Alta Loma” and even “Megan Telles” cheers in the terminal, the group was off to their gate.
To learn more about the National Memorial Day Parade — and watch the livestream when it starts — click here.
The group’s presence brought back high school musical memories for the KTLA crew; Carlos remarked that he played trombone when he was younger, KTLA meteorologist played the French horn, Lauren Lyster sang in her school’s chorus and Megan Telles, an alumna of Loma Alta Junior High School near Loma Alta High, played trumpet.
According to AAA, more than 45 million people are will journey at least 50 miles from home during the Memorial Day holiday travel period (between Thursday and Monday), an increase of 1.4 million travelers from 2024 and a new Memorial Day record.
