The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band will participate in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, according to an announcement on Apr. 27. More than 300 members from South Dakota State University are scheduled to travel to Chicago from Nov. 23-27, with their parade performance set for Nov. 26.
Kevin Kessler, director of athletic bands at South Dakota State University, said, “It’s one of the largest Thanksgiving parade in the country. It’s a major parade in a major American city. An estimated 400,000 people on the street will watch it. It’s a big deal.”
Kessler also said that trips like this have become a signature part of The Pride’s activities and involve significant logistical planning due to the large number of students involved. He noted that alumni connections are assisting with trip organization and that much attention is being given to preparing music for the event: “Whatever we choose will be high energy and recognizable to the audience. The main objective is to entertain and bring joy to those who see and hear us,” Kessler said.
The Pride has a history of representing South Dakota State University at notable events including previous appearances at national parades such as Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, presidential inaugural parades, Rose Parades, and international events dating back as far as their participation in Canada in 1939 for a royal parade honoring England’s king and queen.
Kessler credited donors and university leaders including David Earnest (dean), David Reynolds (director), Dennis Hedge (provost), and Barry Dunn (president) for supporting this opportunity: “They said, ‘Yes, let’s do it. We want to give these students this opportunity,’” he said.
For many band members this may be their first visit to Chicago; plans include sightseeing opportunities such as visits to museums and landmarks like Millennium Park and Lake Michigan before parade day.
The SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences works toward strengthening communities by empowering citizens through sustainable changes in agriculture and natural resources according to its official website. The college includes facilities supporting teaching, research, outreach efforts—including those linked with SDSU Extension—and has earned recognition as the North American Limousin Foundation Promoter of the Year for 2025 according to its official website.
As part of South Dakota State University operations alongside entities like SDSU Extension and South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station according to its official website, it represents both SDSU’s largest unit by faculty/staff/space dedicated toward teaching/research/outreach while ranking second by student enrollment according to its official website. The college aims through research initiatives not only at addressing problems but also fostering learning environments empowering sustainable changes across agriculture/natural resources/youth/families/communities according to its official website.
