At the Daily News, we love to hype up high school football every chance we get.
But often overlooked is a key component to every football team: the marching band.
In Okaloosa County, that goes double. From Niceville’s Eagle Pride Marching Band’s many appearances at the Tournament of Roses Parade (1998, 2008, 2015, 2017 and 2024) to invitations to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade by the Fort Walton Beach Viking Band, the Choctawhatchee Style Marchers, Crestview’s Big Red Machine and Niceville, area bands in Okaloosa County have traveled far and wide for parades and bowl games.
And just recently, all five Okaloosa County marching bands earned Straight Superior ratings at the 2025 Florida Bandmasters Association Marching Music Performance Assessment at Steve Riggs Stadium.
Each marching band is unique in its sound, its traditions, its size and strengths, and we see that on full display every Fall Friday night starting with the national anthem, spilling into the stands and on display at halftime.
Each band would probably tell you they set the gold standard, but we wanted to leave it to the community to decide which marching band is the best in Okaloosa County. Voting runs through noon next Tuesday, and the winner will earn a feature in the Daily News.
Vote now, and vote often for your favorite march band.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Who has the best marching band in Okaloosa County? Vote now
Reporting by Seth Stringer, Northwest Florida Daily News / Northwest Florida Daily News
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