- The U.S. Navy Band is celebrating its 100th anniversary and the Navy's 250th anniversary with a special performance in Thomasville.
- The concert is free and will feature a mix of patriotic songs, broadway hits, and pop music for everyone to enjoy.
- Watch the video to see what this performance means for local veterans.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It's been decades since the U.S. Navy Band performed here, but now they're back in a big way, marking their 250th anniversary and the band's 100th.
I'm uncovering why Thomasville made the cut for this Southeastern "Mega Tour" and what this performance means for our neighbors.
Rick Ivey, Artistic Director at the Thomasville Entertainment Foundation, tells me the foundation has been bringing big performances to town for over 80 years—and this Navy Band show is no exception.
"Thomasville is a very culturally aware community, a very strong supporter of the arts community, and a very patriotic community. And so as the U.S. Navy prepared this really wonderful mega tour of the Southeast, they reached out to us immediately," said Ivey.
It's no surprise the Navy Band is back—they've performed here in 1951, 1960, and 1967, drawing huge crowds from South Georgia and North Florida.
Back then, their mix of classical, Latin, folk, and broadway hits packed the house with over 1,000 people, including local students and musicians.
Military performances were a big deal back then and still are today, especially for our local veterans.
"I think that bringing something like that to Thomasville is just what this place needs. Not a lot of people know that the Navy Band even exists. Me as a vet, I just think that it's something great to be able to go see people that I might have served with, to see that again in person. It's definitely a lifetime experience to go see," said Munn.
Conner Munn, a Navy Veteran at Thomas university tells me performances like this can also showcase the more human side of military life.
"See that the military is not just, you know, a big scary military where it's all shooting guns and going crazy. You know, there's more to it than that. It's a whole culture," said Munn.
The excitement isn't just local—people from all over the region are eager to attend the performance.
"We've had interest from not only the community here, but we've had people reaching out from Tallahassee, Valdosta, Moultrie, Albany, and more," said Munn.
For Thomasville, that means a significant economic boost. With visitors coming in from all over, local restaurants, shops, and hotels are seeing the impact.
Munn hopes to bring more veteransto the show on March 22nd.
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