METHUEN — Nicholson Stadium was the backdrop for a battle of the bands Sunday afternoon.
High-school marching bands from the Merrimack Valley and beyond competed in an annual competition sponsored by the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association.
There are no winners or losers; each band is graded individually on its performance.
The event also is the largest annual fundraiser for the Methuen Ranger Band Parents Association.
Sunday, the parents sold hot dogs, hamburgers, soda and bottled water. Proceeds help cover the local band's costs and fuel the band parents' scholarship fund, said Paul Downing, president of the Methuen Ranger Band Parents.
The following high-school marching bands participated: Andover, Bedford, East Bridgewater, Lowell, Wakefield, North Andover, Dracut, Norwood, and Methuen.
The crowd also was treated to performances by marching bands from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Boston University.
— Jill Harmacinski
