Mungo Homes

Band Check-In & Arrival

Buses, equipment vehicles, and pit vehicles should arrive at the same time to reduce the chance that a band's vehicles are separated. Check in at the Hospitality Tent, where your band guide will meet you.

Directors, assistant directors, and staff will receive name badges. Chaperone and pit-crew wristbands will be included in the hospitality packet.

Bus/truck parking assignments will be based on fleet size, arrival/departure timing, and special requests. Event staff will direct vehicles to their assigned parking area, and a parking map will be emailed to participating bands before the event.

Support vehicles: Bus/truck parking is reserved for vehicles transporting students or hauling equipment, including buses, semis, box trucks, and pickup trucks towing trailers. Stand-alone personal vehicles and minivans should use spectator parking. Bands needing a stand-alone vehicle near their buses/trucks for a specific operational reason should coordinate with event leadership in advance.

Arrival Recommendation

Bands are encouraged to arrive at least one hour before their assigned warm-up time to allow sufficient time for restrooms and changing into uniforms.

Arriving in half uniform is recommended to make the changing process easier.

Freeway Music

Dressing Rooms

Several large bathrooms at Blythewood High School will be available for changing. Each designated band bathroom entrance will be marked with a red flag.

Students must be chaperoned at all times while using these areas. Each band is responsible for providing an adequate number of chaperones.

Band Transportation

Band traffic should use Wilson Boulevard (I-77 Exit 24) and enter campus through the South entrance designated for buses and staff parking. Buses and trucks should turn left into the South gate.

Warm-Up Areas

Four designated warm-up areas are available: A, B, C, and D. Warm-up A and B split the football practice field; the tower on that field is off limits to directors and students.

Warm-up C and D split the JV stadium field. Bands should enter their assigned C/D zone from the front sideline and exit from the back sideline; the track may be used to move bands into and out of those zones.

Pits may accompany the winds to the assigned warm-up area or use the grassy areas directly behind Blythewood High School. If a pit uses the grassy areas behind the school, no cymbals or hard mallets may be used. The BHS softball and baseball fields may not be used as additional warm-up areas.

Bands should face away from the stadium during warm-up and may only warm up in their assigned area during their assigned time. After warm-up, follow the competition flow and event-staff directions.

Pit Crew & Equipment

Pit crews should be in the staging area before the band arrives. Only vehicles equipped with turf tires will be permitted inside the stadium.

Autumn's Crafty Corner

Pick-up trucks and vehicles with all-terrain or mud tires are not permitted on the field. Golf carts and similar towing vehicles may be used when they meet the tire and equipment requirements. Caster wheels are not permitted on the turf.

Vehicles must remain within the goal lines and may not drive in the end zone. Richland 2 District Security may inspect vehicle, prop, and equipment wheels before field entry.

Prop Staging & Band Holding

Reserved parking spaces on the far-right/east side of the bus/truck parking lot will serve as the primary prop building/storage staging area. Bands may pick up props as they pass the area, or pit crews may move props from staging toward the stadium.

The grassy Band Holding area near the stadium gate is for short-term pre-performance staging only and is not intended for long-term prop storage. Bands and props should not move to the gate more than 15 minutes before gate time unless directed by event staff.

Performance

Field entry: Side one, back-sideline end zone. Field exit: Side two, front-sideline end zone.

Each band has a total of 15 minutes to set up, optionally warm up, perform, and exit the field.

Bands enter through two gates near the side-one back corner. The exterior gate is approximately 13 ft wide and the interior gate approximately 12 ft wide. After clearing the second gate, bands line up in the end zone and await instructions from the SCBDA field manager. The exit uses two gates of the same dimensions.

Competition Flow

Use the marked two-way band route and follow event staff. Returning bands use the left lane back toward bus/truck parking; bands traveling toward the stadium use the right lane and have the right of way.

Do not arrive at the stadium gate more than 15 minutes before gate time, and do not move props from Prop Staging to the gate more than 15 minutes early. The Band Holding area may be used temporarily if bands or props need to be reordered.

Post-Performance Procedures

After performing, bands should sit on the visitor side of the stadium.

Bands are not permitted inside the school building except for designated bathrooms/changing rooms under adult supervision, including during the time between prelims and finals.

Directors' Hospitality & Bus Driver Lounge

A Directors' Hospitality Room and Bus Driver lounge will be located in the Food Court at Blythewood High School for directors and staff only.

Tickets

General admission tickets are available for online purchase through Bandlink, Ludus, and SCBDA.

Kellie Ballentine

Adults: $20
Students: $15

Digital tickets purchased in advance will be scanned at the gate and a wristband will be provided for exit/re-entry.

Day-of-event tickets will also be available through the Ludus app using cash or credit, as well as at the ticket table.

Credentialed admission: School administrators and SCBDA/music-education members may be admitted free with proper identification. School administrators should present an SCHSL credential; music educators should present a NAfME credential.

Gates & Stadium Entry

Spectator traffic should use Blythewood Road (I-77 Exit 27). Spectator and accessible-parking traffic should turn right into the Stadium (north) Gate until the stadium lots are full.

Seating

Spectator seating information will be identified on the final venue map.

Concessions

Stadium concessions will be available throughout the event and will include hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, fries, nachos, chips, candy, soda, water, and Gatorade.

Custom Fundraising Solutions

Cash and card are accepted.

Additional food trucks will include Pelican's Ice, The Donut Guy, and the Coffee Truck.

The visitor-side concession stand will prioritize band student sales to help reduce student wait times. The home-side concession stand will primarily serve spectators.

Participating bands may not cook or grill anywhere on the Blythewood High School campus or at the stadium.

Merchandise

Carolina Crown will have a merchandise tent, and Northwest Designs will sell official 4A State Prelims / Finals T-shirts.

Clear Bag Policy

Blythewood High School Stadium has a clear bag policy.

School Building Access

Spectators and students should not enter the school building unless authorized. Bands may use designated bathrooms and changing areas under adult supervision.

Spectator Traffic

Spectator traffic should use Blythewood Road (I-77 Exit 27) and turn right into the Stadium (north) Gate while on-campus stadium parking remains available.

Spectator Parking

Spectator parking will include the stadium parking lots on the Blythewood High School campus plus marked off-site lots along Blythewood Road. The Director's Packet specifically identifies:

• Trinity United Methodist Church
• Palmetto Pediatrics
• First Community Bank
• The marked grass lot at the corner

Follow event signage and parking personnel for the lot currently accepting vehicles.

Accessible / Priority Parking

Accessible-parking traffic with appropriate identification will enter through the Stadium (north) Gate until the stadium parking lots are full. The home-side stadium parking lot is reserved for spectators using wheelchairs, walkers, and/or strollers, subject to direction from parking staff.

Be seen by 4,000+ spectators!
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No Roadside Parking

Cars may not park along the roadway. Richland Police Department has advised that vehicles parked along Hwy 21 / Wilson Boulevard will be ticketed.

Band Transportation

Buses, equipment vehicles, and pit vehicles should use Wilson Boulevard (I-77 Exit 24), enter campus through the South entrance, and turn left into the South gate. Only band support vehicles identified for event operations should use this route.

Free Shuttle Service

Two free shuttles will circulate between the marked off-site spectator lots along Blythewood Road and the stadium. The shuttles will also return spectators from the stadium to the off-site parking areas.

Band Block & Attire

Directors should prepare a retreat block no more than 5 students wide; 4-5 students wide is recommended. Maintain the block while moving to and into the stadium, compressing as needed to pass through the entrance gate.

Retreat attire is complete uniform minus hats - NO HATS. Color guard members may want an additional layer for the cooler evening.

Staging & Field Entry

Bands will assemble in the designated retreat staging area in performance order. For retreat, bands enter through the map location marked Band Exit, proceed across the back of the field, turn into their assigned slot, and move toward the front hash at approximately a 2-step interval.

A minimum of three staff members is recommended to help guide each band through the retreat process.

Drum Majors & Ceremony

Drum majors will be called to the front after all bands are in position; drum majors only should report forward. Bands should be prepared to use a parade-rest position because of the ceremony length.

Bands enter retreat in performance order. At the conclusion, follow the announcer's instructions to break ranks and congratulate the other participating bands.

Prelims & Finals Awards

Prelims Awards: 4:30 PM. Drum majors should meet in the side 2 end zone in performance order before walking onto the field.

Finals Awards: Immediately following Blythewood High School's exhibition performance. Participating finalists should line up in the retreat staging area in performance order at that time.