The George Rogers Clark Marching Band is back, if you haven’t already heard.

After a 15-year hiatus, the band is hosting the GRC Invitational Band Contest Saturday. The new stadium allowed GRC to bring the invitational back.

“As artificial turf fields became a normal thing at high schools, it became next to impossible to get bands to agree to compete on grass/natural fields,” Band Director Michael Payne said “Why would you not want to compete in the best stadiums with the best performance surface?”

The GRC Invitational is the last regular season contest of the season. Payne said they selected that date for the show so GRC can showcase all of these outstanding bands at their best, just before the state competition begins.

“We are one of the largest contests in the state of Kentucky this season,” Payne said. “That is a testament to the outstanding facility that was built for our community. We are excited to get these other groups onto our campus so they can show off all their hard work.”

GRC will host 20 high school bands from across Kentucky. The event, which runs from noon to 10 p.m., will bring about 4,000 visitors to Winchester, Sharon Vanover, Clark County Band Booster and director at large, said.

Tickets are $10 at the door.

“We would love for all of Winchester to come out and check out all of the great bands coming here to perform,” Payne said.

Judges will include experts from the marching activity, including those with significant experience in high school and college bands, and drum and bugle corps. Jeff Hood, former GRC director (1984-’95) will be one of the judges.

GRC will not compete at its home show, but will perform an exhibition at the end of the night.

Payne said bands love to perform to a full audience, so he hopes the community shows out Saturday.

“The bigger the crowd, the more lasting the memory,” Payne said. “Ask anyone who has ever played in a marching band. You never forget the first time you get a crowd of thousands to stand and cheer because of the excellence you produce on the field.”

The GRC Marching Band is also hosting the KMEA East Regional Quarterfinals on Oct. 19, which is a qualifying event for AA and AAA bands to advance to the state competition in Bowling Green.

“The KMEA Quarterfinals contest is the first round of the State Marching Band Championships,” Payne said. “Eight bands will advance in each class to the state semifinals.”

Payne told The Sun this year’s season is an exciting one as the band has access to turf fields for practice for the first time.

This year’s marching band season began back in April with conditioning camps for returning members and with interview auditions for new members.

Payne told The Sun the band also selected new leadership during April through four weeks of training and clinics.

Throughout the summer, students learned the fundamentals of marching before returning for band camp in late July.

The band’s membership is up to 108 members this year, with about 30 graduating seniors. Payne said previously it is the largest band GRC has fielded in about eight years.

“We have an outstanding group of seniors leading the way, and these kids are on the cusp of their first state finals appearance since 2005,” Payne said.

This year’s competition show is called “EDGE” and features many plays and interpretations of the ideas of edges, both literally — sharp looking props — and figuratively — being on edge.

“Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks, “Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga, and “Close to the Edge” by YES are a few of the recognizable songs audiences will hear throughout the eight-minute production.

Audiences will have a chance to see what the GRC marching band is all about Saturday night at the new stadium.

“If you love music, this is the place to be,” Payne said. “If you love pageantry and excellence, this is the place to be. Want to see thousands of high school kids — over 1200 student performers — doing great things and doing their community proud? This is the place to be.”