Despite having to change in venues, Andalusia High School Band Boosters still expects 21 bands to participate in this weekend’s A-Town Band Invitational, which will be held in Opp.

The Band Boosters announced last Wednesday it would move the event, citing safety concerns at Andalusia Municipal Stadium, where construction continues.

Band director Bennie Shellhouse said that the only struggle with the change in venue has been figuring out the logistics of the move.

“The only thing that has been a challenge with the change of venues has been trying to work out the logistics,” Shellhouse said. “Like trying to figure out how to get trailers and concessions and making sure we have everything in order.”

Shellhouse said that the City of Opp and the Opp City School Board of Education have been beyond amazing for letting the band use their facilities.

“They are bending over backwards and we can’t thank them enough,” Shellhouse said. “They have volunteered to paint the field and the Opp Police Department and fire department have volunteered to be there for us.”

Shellhouse said that things fell in place perfectly for A Sound Tradition to host the competition in Opp.

“It happened where the Opp football team has three away games in a row,” Shellhouse said. “Which works perfectly for us, so now we can work all this week and get things ready to go for the weekend.”

The competition is the band’s biggest fundraiser and most of the funds will be used for their Disney World trip in the spring.

“I am very thankful that we are still able to do this competition,” Shellhouse said. “Without it, I don’t know what we would have done.”

The competition will begin with Houston County High School performing at noon.

A-Town Schedule

Noon: 1A: Houston County

12: 15 p.m. -1A: Kinston High School

12:30 p.m. -1A: Brantley High School

12:45 p.m. until 1 p.m. – BREAK

1p.m. – 2A: Opp High School

1:15 p.m. – 2A: Escambia County High School

1:30 p.m. – 2A: Headland High School

1:45 p.m., until 2 p.m. – BREAK

2 p.m. – 2A: Straughn High School

2:15 p.m. – 2A: Valley High School

2:30 p.m. – 2A: Greenville High School

2:45 p.m. – 2A: Walton High School

3 p.m. – 3A: Luverne High School

3:20 p.m. – 3A: Elba High School

3:40 p.m. – 3A: Ashford High School

4 p.m., until 4:20 p.m. – BREAK

4:20 p.m. – 3A: Baldwin County High School

4:40 p.m. –  3A: T.R. Miller High School

5 p.m. – 3A: Elberta High School

5:20 p.m. – 3A: Gulf Shores High School

5:40 p.m., until 7 p.m. – SUPPER BREAK

7 p.m. – 4A: W.S. Neal High School

7:20 p.m. – 4A: Dothan High School

7:40 p.m. – 4A: Rehobeth High School

8 p.m., until 8:20 p.m. – BREAK

8:20 p.m. – 5A: Foley High School

8:40 p.m. – EXHIBITION BAND: Andalusia High School –

9 p.m. – Awards