The band program’s biggest fundraiser, Santa’s Craft Castle, is scheduled to take place on Nov. 23.

“My favorite part of Craft Castle is truly seeing so many different members of the community come out supporting the bands,” Band Booster President Todd Brown said. “We bring in anywhere from three to 4,000 people to come and attend craft castle; it’s just great to see that community support.”

Santa’s Craft Castle takes a year to prepare and estimates to bring in around 75-80 percent of the band’s revenue. The majority of volunteers are members of marching band and their families, while crafters bring in homemade merchandise to sell to those who attend.

“I really love walking around and seeing all the cool stuff because I’m kind of an artistic person myself,” junior trombonist Samantha Lewis said.

Wind Ensemble students, who perform, begin rehearsing their music in mid-October. They practice with their chamber groups—a group of two to five kids who play similar instruments—throughout October and November. 

“Well I’ve only done it once, which was last year,” junior field commander Dona Jazrawy said. “But my favorite part is probably listening to the chamber groups because we practice a lot to get a really good sound and make it a fun environment.”