SHERBURNE – Between 8,000 and 10,000 spectators are expected to attend the 61st annual Pageant of Bands this weekend. The event kicked off Thursday and will culminate in Saturday afternoon’s parade, beginning at 1 p.m.

Approximately 2,000 students from 30 schools in Chenango and surrounding New York counties will participate in a variety of competitions, including Jazz Band, Parade Band, Drum Line, Concert Band and the Street Guard and Small Ensemble – now in their second and third years, respectively.

In addition, this year’s pageant will feature live-streaming Internet footage, which began with last night’s Jazz competitions and will continue throughout the weekend.

A live feed will be available through the Sherburne-Earlville Central School District website at www.secsd.org, and will include coverage of Friday’s Jazz competition from 3:15 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday’s Class B, 8:30 to 10:35 a.m., and Class AA, 10:35 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., Concert competitions.

Pageant Coordinator and Sherburne-Earlville Band Director Jeff Manwaring said pageant officials hope to expand the live-streaming Internet service to include all of the competitions in future years, and added that while the live Internet feed is aimed primarily at school alumni, “anyone in the country, and throughout the world, can now log in and watch.”