Over 1,000 band fans packed the Tamaqua Area Sports Stadium Saturday, braving chilly night air for four hours of music, marching, flags and pageantry.

For the 1,500 marching band members who took part, it was serious business.The Tamaqua Area Raider Marching Band hosted the 18th annual Land of Running Water Marching Band Adjudication Festival, attracting some of the best high school bands from throughout the region.It's always a family event, said one parent."I have an eighth-grader and a sixth-grader in the band," said Dwane Miller of Andreas. Miller is a Tamaqua band alumnus who graduated in 1994 and has fond memories of his years with the band."I played baritone, then trombone and was drum major in my senior year," he said.Another attendee expressed gratitude to the entire community."I give Tamaqua credit for hosting this competition every year because these kids deserve all the praise in the world. They deserve all the accolades they get," said Jamie Smith of Tower City.The event featured each band's field show, judged by experts who evaluate each performance in a wide range of areas, such as music, marching and field presence.The results: Nativity

B.V.M. Green Wave Band, Pottsville, was awarded a rating of good.Bands from Mahanoy Area, Minersville and Shenandoah earned the level of excellent.Five bands attained the rating of superior: Annville-Cleona, Bangor, Exeter Township, Pottsville Area, Tri-Valley and Wilson.The Bangor Slater Band also took honors for best overall drum major, best woodwinds, best high brass, best high percussion and best band front.The overall award for marching and maneuvering went to Annville-Cleona, and the Michelle J. Potlunas Memorial Award for audience appeal was won by the Wilson Area High School Band from Reading.As host, the 170-member Tamaqua Raider show band wasn't judged but captured a superior rating at the Exeter adjudication and owns a string of superior ratings dating to the 1980s.The band, a hometown favorite, presented the grand finale performance appearing in new adjudication uniforms. New outfits had been unveiled in September but for competition the band supplants the dark pants with bright, white slacks.The competition is a massive undertaking, said organizers, and involves cooperation and support from school board, school staff, Tamaqua Fire Department, Tamaqua Ambulance, Tamaqua Fire Police, Tamaqua Area Band Boosters and families, students and other volunteers.