2016 First Town Days Plate

2016 First Town Days Souvenir Plate

Each year the festival committee chooses a special design for the annual souvenir plate. The committee attempts to bring forth a design that will signify something important to the festival, the park, or the community. The subject of this year’s plate design fulfills all three of these goals. The committee will be honoring the 100th Anniversary of the New Philadelphia High School Marching Band.

With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, an unprecedented patriotism swept through America. Out of that spirit, Frank R. Speck, Director of Music at New Philadelphia schools, sought to organize a marching band in January, 1915, with about 45 boys.

On May 30, 1915, the band led the procession of school children in the traditional Memorial Day parade. Today's generation is a well respected competitive performance band that has earned countless awards in Ohio Music Education Association and Bands of America sanctioned contests. Despite the changes the New Philadelphia High School Marching Band has seen, it has never lost touch with that spirit and those traditions under which the band was born.