WCU’s award-winning Pride of the Mountains Marching Band is hosting the invitational tournament, now in its 14th year, and will perform twice during the day. Preliminaries for the competition begin at 9:15 a.m. and continue through the morning and afternoon to select three class champions to be announced during award ceremonies at 4:30 p.m. Those champions, along with the next seven highest-scoring bands, will advance to the finals competition beginning at 7 p.m. Awards will be presented at 9:45 p.m.

The Tournament of Champions will feature performances by the Pride of the Mountains at 4:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The WCU band will showcase its new halftime production “Street Beatz,” to be performed at the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

North Carolina high schools with marching bands in the competition are Wakefield, Raleigh; Cleveland, Clayton; Northwest Cabarrus, Concord; North Lincoln, Lincolnton; Owen, Black Mountain; Tuscola, Waynesville; North Buncombe, Weaverville; Marvin Ridge, Waxhaw; Chase, Forest City; Brevard; Green Hope, Cary; and East Lincoln, Denver.

Tickets to the invitational are $10 for the preliminary competition and $8 for the finals if purchased in advance or at the gate before 4 p.m. Tickets purchased after 4 p.m. are $10. The group rate (15 or more persons paid by one check) is $8 per person for preliminaries and $8 per person for finals. Children under the age of 12 will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

828.227.2998 or www.prideofthemountains.com.