By Matt Hoover
USD 475 Communications Coordinator
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – Earlier this week the Junction City High School Blue Jay Band made its annual trek to perform at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. One problem, the weather didn’t cooperate.“It was quite an experience as it rained all morning in Hutchinson and shortly after the band arrived, they cancelled the rest of the performing bands that morning,” said Samantha Boxberger, JCHS music teacher.
After hearing the unfortunate news that they wouldn’t be able to perform, the Blue Jays adjusted and were hopeful that they would be able to perform with other bands later in the day once the weather passed. It never cleared up though, so Boxberger, Jared Morris and others allowed their musicians to make the most of an unfortunate situation by letting them attend the fair so that they could not only see all the fun exhibits and animals but also taste some of the amazing food.“Even though it rained the entire afternoon, our musicians had a great time bonding and exploring all that the fair had to offer,” said Boxberger.
With the rain coming down harder throughout the day, the Blue Jays decided to head back to Junction City early but were met with a surprise as all of the rain had made the grass parking lot at the fairgrounds an absolute mess.“All three of our charter busses got stuck so deep in the mud that we could not leave. Each bus tried to pull out a different direction, but no method worked. There were numerous phone calls for tow trucks, possible replacement busses and even tractors from the fairgrounds who tried to help get us free, but nothing worked. It honestly felt like watching a sitcom take place outside the bus window,” said Boxberger. After almost 2 hours, a second tractor was brought in and was finally able to pull all three of the busses out. Cheers from all three busses erupted as the Blue Jays were finally able to break lose and head back home after a long, but memorable day at the Kansas State Fair.
“Our musicians were great sports though, often cheering when they saw another bus trying to move and make any progress. Although they were disappointed to miss their first festival performance, they were able to bond with their fellow musicians and make some unforgettable memories,” said Boxberger.Finally, it’s only appropriate that the Blue Jays rock and pop halftime show this year is called, Storm Surge, as they definitely brought the Storm Surge with them on their adventure to Hutch.