Thirty-seven high school bands from all over Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas will perform their best halftime routines in front of judges and thousands of spectators Saturday at Arizona Stadium as part of the 57th Annual UA Band Day.

The all-day festival is hosted by the UA band department and the Glassman Foundation and will feature two performances from the Pride of Arizona marching band.

“”We estimate somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 people in the stadium throughout different parts of the day,”” said Scott Matlick, associate director of the Pride of Arizona marching band and coordinator of UA Band Day. “”There are 3,500 high school students that make up the bands that will be performing, so obviously most of that will be their friends and family as well as a lot of UA alumni and interested community members.””

The bands will be judged in six categories: musical performance, music general effects, visual performance, visual general effects, percussion and auxiliary. Auxiliary includes the color guards, dancers and twirlers that are involved in the band, Matlick said.

“”We bring in judges from all around the country, the experts in their field, to help judge the festival,”” Matlick said. “”At the end of the evening, we’ll choose one or two bands for the Milton B. Nunamaker Award, basically for the most outstanding band or bands of the day.””

Last year’s winner of the Milton B. Nunamaker Award was the Rincon/University High School Ranger Band from Tucson.