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NAU band to march in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

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Published  November 19, 2025 9:22pm MST
Northern Arizona University
FOX 10 Phoenix
Lumberjack marching band makes Arizona college history

Lumberjack marching band makes Arizona college history

Northern Arizona University students navigated snowy paths on campus Wednesday, but the snowfall was overshadowed by another big event: the university’s marching band is preparing for a historic trip to New York City. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.

The Brief

    • The Northern Arizona University Marching Band is preparing for a historic trip to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, marking the first time NAU—and any Arizona college—has been invited to perform.
    • The performance, which will feature a routine paying tribute to Flagstaff’s Route 66, is considered a dream come true by students, giving them the highest opportunity a college band can achieve and allowing them to showcase NAU to a national audience.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Northern Arizona University students navigated snowy paths on campus Wednesday, but the snowfall was overshadowed by another big event: the university’s marching band is preparing for a historic trip to New York City.

What we know:

The Lumberjack band is headed to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade next week, marking the first time NAU has been invited, and the first time an Arizona college has participated in the event.

For the students, the opportunity is a dream come true.

"I'm over the moon. This will be my first time visiting New York City. A childhood dream of mine was always to go and experience the city," said senior drum major Vinny Solano.

NAU Director of Bands Stephen Meyer said the band’s invitation has been in the works since January 2024.

"I'm just so thrilled for these students to experience the magic that is New York City. It makes all of the work from the past year and a half worth it," Meyer said.

Due to Wednesday’s snowfall, the band moved its dress rehearsal inside the campus dome, where members performed for members of the public who had donated to the trip.

Junior drum major Sebastian Cisneros Ortega thanked the donors. "Whether they donated $5, or $500, or even $1,000, every dollar counted toward making this possible," he said.

'I'm so happy that I get to share this with everybody'

For many seniors, the parade will be the perfect wrap-up to their marching careers.

"I'm so happy that I get to share this with everybody that I've been marching with for the past four years," said senior drum major Samantha Fagan. "You don't really get to say that you've got to go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as a band kid."

Solano called the Macy’s parade "the highest opportunity a college marching band can have," calling the performance "the cherry on top."

The band's routine will pay tribute to Flagstaff's historic Route 66. The drum majors agreed the parade is a chance to bring the NAU name into millions of homes, dispelling the perception that Arizona is "just a desert."

"I'm just so honored that we're showing not only America but the world that we are Flagstaff Arizona, we are NAU," Cisneros Ortega said.

The Source

  • FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reported on this story by interviewing senior drum major Vinny Solano, NAU Director of Bands Stephen Meyer, junior drum major Sebastian Cisneros Ortega and senior drum major Samantha Fagan.

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