Walled Lake Northern Marching Band will perform in Rome’s 2027 New Year’s Day Parade

Dignitaries from Italy took the stage at Walled Lake Northern on Monday to officially invite the Marching Knights to Rome as a featured performer in their 2027 New Year’s Day Parade.

"We are absolutely thrilled and deeply honored to receive this invitation,” said Walled Lake Northern Band Director Mary Hulliberger. “To be selected for the Rome New Year’s Day Parade is a testament to the dedication, talent and spirit of our students.”

"What an opportunity of a lifetime to represent not only Walled Lake Northern but the district as a whole in one of the oldest cities of the world," said junior Drum Major Luke Henry. "The opportunity play music and connect with the culture in Italy will be unlike anything I have ever been a part of. It is an honor and privilege."

"Representing our school and our country on the world stage is the kind of opportunity you dream about,” said Kyle Hulliberger, who is a junior and tuba section leader. “I can’t wait to march through Rome with my band family.”

The Knights’ will spend a week in Rome, where they will also have the opportunity to perform in the town of Frascati, tour historic sites and immerse themselves in Italian culture. Some of the places they will visit include the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Vatican City, Pompeii and the Catacombs.

“This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them – the chance to perform on an international stage, represent our school district, our community and our country, as well as share the pride we have in our program with the world,” said Mary Hulliberger. “We cannot wait to march through the historic streets of Rome and showcase what makes the Walled Lake Northern band so special."

The Marching Knights have previously been a featured performer in the London New Year’s Day Parade in 2018. They were invited to do the same in Rome four years later, but the trip was canceled due to the COVID pandemic.