Greendale High School band headed to 2026 Rose Parade in Pasadena

Greendale High School band headed to 2026 Rose Parade

The Greendale High School marching band has been invited to take part in the 2026 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.

GREENDALE, Wis. - Their reputation proceeds them – and they live up to it every year. On Tuesday evening, June 24, the Greendale High School Marching band got a pretty plum assignment – make that a pretty "rose" assignment. 

Everything's turning up roses

What we know:

Greendale officially received an invitation to the Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. Greendale High will be one of 18 marching bands performing in the prestigious parade. 

Liliana Ramos and Kiera Block are both rising seniors with leadership roles in the band. 

What they're saying:

"Getting this invitation is like, wow," Ramos said. "I understand so many kids want this opportunity and I am blessed to have it myself and I am really proud of the band because we have worked for this." 

"Everyone is just overwhelmed with pride. Everyone is excited. Everyone is saying, 'You are so lucky, I wish I had the opportunity," Block said.

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The performance is a moment band director Tom Reifenberg has been prepared for. His first visit took the Panthers to the Rose parade in 2020. 

Tom Reifenberg

"Whether they are 4 years old watching the parade, or they are 90 years old and watched parades for 80 years, we just try to reach everybody that we can and make sure the kids have fun doing it," Reifenberg said. 

RELATED: Greendale High School Rose Parade information

"They really stand out on tape," said Mark Leavens, President of the Tournament of Pasadena Roses Association. "We watch them, they are great musically. Great performance wise. And they are technically great. Their lines and diagonals and everything look perfect when they are marching. So you can tell they are well practices."