High school bands from the central Pennsylvania region will get their moment in the spotlight at the Baron Invitational. The competition will be held on Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Manheim Central High School football stadium, 400 Adele Ave. The show is tentatively set to begin at 5 p.m.

According to Bob Stauffer, co-chair of the event, 11 bands will perform at the invitational, including the Manheim Central High School band. "Each band will do the show they'd perform during a football game on a Friday night," he explained. "You'll get to see a bunch of different halftime shows all in one place."

Bands that participate in the invitational will be judged on a variety of criteria, including choreography and movement as well as musical performance. The competition is part of the Cavalcade of Bands, which provides the judges and criteria for judging.

The Manheim Central Marching Barons will perform its show, "Afterworld: The Divine Comedy," which is based on Dante's "Inferno." "It's about exploring the journey of the soul and the afterlife," Stauffer said, noting that the music performed for the show has been custom written for the theme.

The event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Manheim Central band, Stauffer said. "The school does a lot to support the band, but it doesn't cover everything," he remarked. "The booster club covers things like additional staff, equipment not paid for by the school, gas reimbursement for travel and lots of behind-the-scenes things." In addition, the band takes a trip every three or four years to perform somewhere outside of the state. This school year, the group is going to Universal Studios to perform in February. "This is a great opportunity for the kids," Stauffer said, noting that the booster club typically subsidizes half of the cost for students. Last year, the various costs of band activities not covered by the district exceeded $32,000.

Stauffer invites anyone with an interest in supporting the band program to attend the invitational. "It's a great opportunity to be exposed to the arts," he said. "People are going to see some really great shows."

The exact starting time of the invitational will be announced closer to the event date. For more information on the Baron Invitational, visit http://www.mcmarchingbarons.org.