POCATELLO — ISU's School of Performing Arts is hosting high school musicians from Idaho, Utah and Nevada for the Mountain West Marching Band Invitational this weekend.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18 at the ICCU Dome, according to a news release from ISU. It will feature 1,021 high school musicians from 19 marching bands across the three states.

The invitational is intended to give high school musicians a chance to perform in a Division I stadium. They also compete in categories such as Music Performance, Visual Performance, Percussion Performance, Auxiliary Performance (Color Guard), and Music Effect.

"Marching band is a sport, and the friendly competition is fun," Luke Strother, ISU director of bands, said in the news release. "Band kids are famously great sportsmen and are supportive and encouraging to all their competitors. All marching competitions have a great vibe in this respect."

Audiences who attend the event can expect athletic movement and artistry. Strother said in the news release that marching band performances are often centered on a theme or narrative to tell a story.

"It truly is a one-of-a-kind blend of art and sport — if you've never seen something like this, you've just got to check it out," Strother said.

ISU's Bengal Marching Band will also perform at the end of the event. ISU band members will help in other ways including hosting visiting bands, managing logistics, and making sure the event runs smoothly.

The Mountain West Marching Band Invitational is about celebrating education, artistry and school spirit.

"For me, there are few things as inspiring as watching our young people demonstrating their artistry and their love of their community," Strother said in the news release. "How fortunate we are to host such a large display of our region's musicians."

This invitational is the largest marching competition in the region, and it is an important part of recruitment for ISU's music program. Strother said in the release that the students who visit get the chance to check out what ISU has to offer.

"This is the single largest recruitment event the music department puts out every year — we're out there making new Bengals."