On Tuesday, the bright sounds of the Blue and White Marching Machine (B&WMM) drew folks out of their front doors to watch and listen as Eastern Senior High School’s marching band tread their usual practice route along A Street NE between the school (1700 E Capitol St. NE) and the triangle park where A Street meets 13th Street NE.
But this was the first time they’d marched along Blue and White Marching Machine Way.
Last April, DC Council voted to honorarily designate the stretch of road between North Carolina Avenue NE, and 17th Street NE for the performers that have brought joy, music and honors to the neighborhood surrounding. Eastern isn’t called the “pride of Capitol Hill” for nothing.
But Sept. 25 was a big day for multiple reasons –not only did the B&WMM have a street named for them, they had a diplomatic visit.
Just prior to the ceremony at 1300 A Street NE, Eastern hosted the London officials as they presented the band with a formal invitation to participate in the 2026 London New Year’s Day Parade.
While numerous representatives from the US have participated in prior years, this will be the first time the London Parade will feature a representative from the Nation’s Capital.
The theme is “From Washington to London, two iconic capital cities!” The Parade is the largest event of its kind in the world with a street audience of well over half a million people and a worldwide television audience counted in the hundreds of millions.
You’ll have a chance to catch them long before then! The next time they’ll be out in full regalia on Hill Streets is 1 to 2p.m. on Sept. 27, when Eastern celebrates Homecoming with their traditional but always astounding parade. Come out and watch!
Learn more about the parade –and see where it can be watched in 2025, and 2026, when the B&WMM amp it up at lnydp.com. Learn more about Eastern Senior High School at www.easternhighschoolds.org
