Laurens Central School has again taken top honors at the Pageant of Bands.
The 60th Annual Sherburne Pageant of Bands featured new schools along with perennial participants, including Laurens, which won the Albert Whitney Overall Achievement Award.
Schools are organized into classes based on district enrollment.
Laurens won its class in the jazz ensemble, concert band, parade and color guard categories. The effort of the Laurens band members earned them their 14th overall achievement award in 17 years.
The three-day competition also attracted several people who competed in the inaugural pageant organized by Whitney and co-founder Frank Miller in 1949, said pageant coordinator Jeffrey Manwaring.
Miller's son and daughter also attended, Manwaring said,
"I got to meet his son and daughter. They had a great weekend. They were the local celebrities, I guess," Manwaring said. "It was a nice weekend to reminisce."
The three-day competition featured 30 bands from around the state.
Other area schools that won first through fifth-place trophies include Worcester, Oxford Academy, Sidney, Norwich, Edmeston, Morris, Charlotte Valley, Milford, Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton, Greene and Richfield Springs.
The weather cooperated, especially for the parade competition Saturday, Manwaring said.
"I couldn't ask for a better day," Manwaring said. "It was a perfect day."
In addition to the parade portion of the pageant, there were jazz and small ensemble competitions Thursday and Friday and a concert band competition Saturday.
Manwaring praised those who he said were the unsung heroes of the pageant _ the volunteer tabulators.
Manwaring said tabulators provide behind the scene support by computing scores.
"They are meticuluous," Manwaring said.
Several thousand spectators watched the parade.
