HURST, Texas — Cheers erupted from the auditorium of L.D Bell High School in Hurst as students learned they would perform in the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Tuesday.
The Blue Raider marching band is one of ten bands performing in the 2025 parade, according to a press release from HEB ISD. It will be the first time the L.D. Bell's band will appear in the parade. The students will march to the song "Let's Have a Parade," the iconic phrase that signals the start of every parade since 1924.
The band was one of ten bands selected from 100 applicants across the country. The Macy’s Parade Band committee selects bands based on their stage presence, musical and marching abilities, according to the release.
"We are thrilled to have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent our HEB ISD and L.D. Bell community on an international stage," Suzanne Dell, L.D. Bell's band director, said in a statement. “I am so grateful to all of the incredible alumni that are part of the Long Blue Line of the Blue Raider Band, whose efforts created and maintained the standard of excellence that we aspire to today."
Macy's presented the students with a $10,000 check to kick off their fundraising effort. The band will spend the next 18 months preparing for their appearance in the parade, according to the release.
"The band’s outstanding commitment to artistry and creativity leaped off the screen during the selection process, and I’m thrilled to invite students from this talented band to perform on a national stage in November 2025,” Sara Flores, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade associate producer, said in a statement.
