Whitewater Times

The Watertown High School Marching Band is set to travel to Dublin, Ireland, in 2026 to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. In addition to this event, the band will compete in the Limerick Band Championship, Ireland’s sole international band competition. The itinerary includes visits to Galway, the Wicklow Mountains, and the Cliffs of Moher. Students will also engage with Irish culture through music, food, and dance during their stay.

This eight-day trip is available to all current 7th-10th grade band members within the Watertown Unified School District (WUSD). To help mitigate travel expenses, the band will hold a Mattress Sale Fundraiser at Watertown High School on August 10 starting at 10 a.m., in collaboration with Custom Fundraising Solutions. Mattresses sold at this event will be locally manufactured and made to order, offered with full warranties at wholesale prices.

For further information about the trip or fundraiser, interested parties can contact WHS Band Director Reid LaDew at ladewr@watertown.k12.wi.us.

The Watertown Music Department has a longstanding tradition of student travel spanning over four decades. Recent performances have taken place in Colorado, Nashville, Washington D.C., and Disney World during its Thanksgiving Day Parade. On June 11, approximately 100 band and orchestra students are scheduled to perform on the flight deck of the USS Intrepid in New York City and participate in a Broadway Workshop with Ian Weinberger, Music Director from "Hamilton."