The Colorado State University Marching Band’s 2016 season is nearly complete, with just a final home game, the 9News Parade of Lights in Denver, and a possible bowl game remaining. To date, this has been a tremendous season for the marching band as they have participated in the decade-by-decade theme celebrating the “Farewell Hughes” season. From tens of thousands of fans watching them dance at the Rocky Mountain Showdown (and over 70,000 viewing the video clip online), to a halftime show filled with cartoon characters, to their recent “Ladies of the 2000s” show, this has been an exciting fall filled with memorable performances.

With one home game left at Hughes Stadium, the band is pulling out all the stops in an effort to send Hughes out in style. “When we were planning our season back in the spring, we knew that this halftime had to be something special,” said Dr. Richard Frey, director of the CSU Marching Band. “Hughes holds a lot of memories and great moments for generations of fans, and our goal was to conjure nostalgia and celebrate those great times.”

Hughes has been the home of CSU Football since it opened in 1968, and it’s at the concrete bowl under the “A” that many of the greatest moments in Rams football have occurred. Not only is the stadium important to past generations of fans, current Rams have a strong bond as well.

As drum major Peter Gaetz remembers, “The state high school marching band festival was there, so growing up, I had memories of Hughes before I was even a CSU student. Now it’s become home for me on fall Saturdays.” Fourth generation CSU student and Color Guard member Lauren Nalezny said, “Hughes Stadium has always been part of my family. My parents have season tickets, and I’ve been going to games since I was a kid.”

The CSU Marching Band hopes to honor and pay tribute to the great legacy of football at Hughes Stadium with this special halftime performance. The performance features music from the late sixties including Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit,” “Light My Fire,” by The Doors, and ends with “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”.

The show is enhanced with a number of visual elements that connect back to 1968. With tie-dye flags, special accessories for the Golden Poms, and bright hippie flowers everywhere, the band will spell out “Peace.” “Love,” and “1968” during the show. The show’s conclusion connects the band, cheer, and Golden Poms with hundreds of our returning football players on the field together one final time.

This performance is just one of many reminders of the history and traditions at CSU where the marching band plays an important role. The band incorporates several traditional elements throughout their pregame show, including the CSU fight song, Alma Mater, the Colorado A&M fight song "Aggie Boom," in addition to spelling out the words “Rams,” “CSU,” and “C.A.M.”

The marching band uniform is also steeped in history, based on the military uniforms worn when the band was formed 115 years ago with thirteen members. The inclusion of the ram head logo, including a hidden embroidered ram over each performer's heart, again connects the marching band to the university, while the design of each member's uniform, green on the bottom moving to white on the top, mimics the tree line crossing into the snowcapped peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

And of course, following each rehearsal and performance, you'll find the marching band singing the CSU Alma Mater, an expression of their love for our great university.

Please join us as we celebrate the end of an era and bid a fond farewell to Hughes Stadium.