After consulting with our campus safety officers and out of an abundance of caution for student safety, we have regretfully made the decision to cancel the 2025 Lake Charles Toyota Gulf Coast Marching Band Championship.
We hope weather cooperates for the 2026 Gulf Coast Championship!
We can’t wait to see our Cowboy fans in the stadium November 1st and see the bands competing in the LMEA State Marching Championship November 3-5.
The Lake Charles Toyota Gulf Coast Marching Band Championship will be October 25, 2025. Last year had over 20 bands registered.
Schedule TBA
Admission at the gate is $10 or $5 for children & 12 under.
The Lake Charles Toyota Gulf Coast Marching Band Championship (formerly the "Showdown at Sundown") is hosted each year in October by the McNeese State University Cowboy Marching Band. This Saturday high school marching band festival is held in the beautiful Cowboy Stadium on the McNeese campus.
This is a festival/competitive format, with bands receiving both ratings (music, visual, GE, color guard, percussion, & overall band) and competitive scoring within captions and classes. Trophies are awarded for:
General Participation Plaque
Superior Rating in each caption (Music, Visual, GE, Perc, Guard)
High Music, Visual, GE, Percussion, & Guard within classes
High Music, Visual, GE, Percussion & Guard overall
Top 3 scoring band in each class
Top 5 overall scoring bands
Band Classifications are based on the total number of marching winds + marching percussion:
A - 1-40
2A- 41-80
3A- 81-120
4A- 121+
2025 LCTGCMBC Judges
Music - Dr. Dan Harbaugh
Dr. Daniel Harbaugh serves as the Associate Director of Bands for Abilene Christian University. He directs the Concert Band, leads the Big Purple Marching Band, teaches courses within the Instrumental Music Education curriculum, and supervises all Instrumental Music Education Clinical Teachers. Dr. Harbaugh received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Oklahoma. He holds additional Master’s degrees in Instrumental Conducting and Percussion Performance from Truman State University (MO) and Educational Administration from Lindenwood University (MO), as well as a Bachelor of Science in Instrumental Music Education degree from Northwest Missouri State University. His primary areas of research include wind ensemble literature and pedagogy, conducting technique and pedagogy, and the development of high-quality music education in rural communities. In addition to serving on staff at the University of Oklahoma and Truman State University, Dr. Harbaugh taught in Missouri Public Schools for 13 years. His ensembles consistently received the highest ratings and accolades. He has served as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the Midwest. Dr. Harbaugh is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, National Association for Music Education, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Tau Beta Sigma, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
Visual - Chris Williams
Chris was a member of the Santa Clara Vanguard mellophone section in 1994. He was a member of the visual staff from 95-99, and was responsible for writing the drum solo drill for the corps in the 98 season. He returned to DCI working with the Vanguard Cadets from 02-08, Spirit of Atlanta Drum & Bugle Corps from 10-13 as a visual consultant and as Assistant Corps Director for the 2014 season.
Chris has taught, been a clinician for, and designed for bands all over the country. He has won 2 DCI world championships (World Class SCV 99 & Open Class SCVC 08 respectively), and has various top 3 finishes in both Open and World Class. He was the head visual instructor/designer for the Fresno State Bulldog Marching Band from 1997-2010. He has been a visual judge and clinician for groups throughout the state of California as well as throughout the country.
Chris is a graduate of California State University, Fresno. He was a member of the Psi-Chi National Psychology Honor Society and a 2-year Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Scholar. Chris played in the university’s top Wind Ensemble as a euphonium player under the direction of Dr. Lawrence R. “Doc” Sutherland and was a member of the Fresno State Alumni Association Board of Directors for 5 years.
General Effect - Willie Veenstra
William (Willie) Veenstra is a marching arts designer, providing drill design, program coordination, choreography, visual instruction, and leadership training to many programs across the country. He has also been a lead instructor and clinician for over 9 years, working with System Blue, US Bands, TBA and TMEA, UDB, and many other individual clinics. Willie was a member of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from 2011 to 2015, playing trumpet for two years and then serving his head drum major for the last three. He came onto the visual staff the year after and has been on staff ever since, serving as the visual caption coordinator since 2020, with two world championships and multiple visual trophies. He has worked with many high school band programs, serving as the marching band director for Cy-Fair High School from 2017 to 2019 and as the ensemble coordinator for Bridgeland High School from 2020 to 2024. He is currently a Calculus AP teacher at Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Texas. A native of Texas, he graduated from the University of Texas with his bachelor of science in petroleum engineering.
Percussion - Joe Fant
After living in places like Atlanta, Denver and Nashville, Joe returned home to Fairhope, AL on the beautiful Gulf Coast in 2011. His teaching experience started with the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps in 1997 and 1998 and with the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps where he taught the bass drum line for 5 years, achieving 2 I&E titles. Joe then taught the undefeated Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2002, the Santa Clara Vanguard in 2005, Blue Knights 2012 and was a staff member with Music City Mystique in 2002, 2003, and 2008 to 2011 including the 2011 WGI Gold Medalists.
His marching experience includes 3 years with Southwind and 4 with the Cavaliers. As a marching member, he earned a DCI Division 2 Championship and a DCI Division 1 Championship as well as 2 DCI High Percussion awards. In 2003, Joe moved to Denver, CO and where he taught and consulted for Douglas County High School, Fairview Boulder High School and Colorado Bandmasters Association State Champions: Rampart HS and Pomona HS. Joe was a staff member with the Blue Knights winter percussion ensemble for 3 years, serving as the battery arranger/music caption head in 2007 (2007 WGI Bronze Medalists) and 2008.
Joe studied percussion at the University of Alabama with Larry Mathis and Jacksonville State University with Clint Gillespie and Tracy Tyler. While at Jacksonville State, Joe wrote for the Marching Southerners 97-99 including their PASIC drumline which was 2nd Place in 1998.
He has been the percussion caption head for Newnan HS (GA) where they were a 2002 WGI PSA Finalist, McGavock High School, staff member at Harpeth High School in 2009 and 2010 where they were WGI PSO Finalists and was the percussion arranger/program coordinator for WGI PSA Medalists Oak Grove HS in Hattiesburg, MS. He is active in the Gulf Coast music scene as a drum set player and continues to be an in demand adjudicator for Fall Marching Band in Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Mississippi and Florida as well as Winter Percussion with the Minnesota Percussion Association, FFCC, SCGC, CIPA, CWEA, GCGC, TCGC, NWAPA, and LCGPC Indoor Percussion Circuits.
Guard - Amy Ferguson
Amy Ferguson is a passionate educator with 15 years of teaching experience. She currently serves as a Social Studies Faculty member and Color Guard Director at St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans, LA. With a strong background in differentiated instruction, she strives to inspire students through innovative teaching methods to best support diverse learning styles.
Mrs. Ferguson has an 18-year Color Guard career as a performer and educator. She is a proud alumna of the E.D. White High School Color Guard, LSU Color Guard, Saints Independent Winter Guard, and Fais Do-Do Independent Winter Guard.
Throughout her career, Amy has helped foster and develop several local color guard and winter guard programs, including Port Allen High School, Dutchtown High School, St. Thomas More Catholic High School, Louisiana State University, and Crescent City Independent. For the past eight years, she has directed the St. Mary’s Dominican High School Color Guard. She continues to work with programs throughout the New Orleans metro area to promote the performing arts in her community.
Outside the classroom, Amy enjoys time with her husband, Billy Ferguson, and their children, Will and Ava. They actively support charities through the performing arts.