By Claudia Loucks
Correspondent

The Geneseo Harvest Time Music Festival will kick off a weekend of activities on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Geneseo High School Bob Reade football stadium, beginning with the 32nd annual Maple Leaf Marching Band Classic.
The two-day festival concludes Sunday, Sept. 25, with festivities in Geneseo City Park.    The Maple Leaf Classic Marching Band Competition takes center stage from 2:45 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 24 with area high school bands competing for top honors.
   Public is invited to the competition featuring high school bands from Rockridge, Sherrard, Orion, Havana, El Paso, Streator, Farmington, ROWVA, Kewanee, Monmouth- Roseville, Macomb, Dunlap, Canton, Muscatine, and Pekin.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and students.    Geneseo Middle School Band students will perform the introduction and the Geneseo High School Marching Band (The Sound of Geneseo (TSOG) will perform in exhibition.
   From noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 25, in Geneseo City Park, or at the high school if it rains, activities will include pork chop sandwiches and concessions, available from noon to 5 p.m., with karaoke and music from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m.
   The seventh-and eighth-grade choirs will perform at 1 p.m., with high school choirs at 2 p.m. Choirs representing grades 4-12 will present the grand finale at 4:30 p.m., with songs connected to this year’s theme, “How the West was Sung.”
A talent show of students is from 3 to 4 p.m.    A silent auction will be held from 12 to 4 p.m. with winners announced at 4 p.m. Raffle drawings will begin at 4 p.m. for large raffle items and conclude with smaller raffle items. .
Prizes include one year of free groceries form Geneseo Fareway, sponsored by Fareway; 55” 4K TCL UHD Smart/WIFI TV, Samsung Sound Bar, Gateway Computer, Cannon Wireless Printer, Sponsored by Geneseo Communications Foundation, Nintendo Switch, Deluxe Case, and a $100 Nintendo Gift Card, sponsored by Hanford Insurance Agency and Dr. Thomas Daniels.
Tickets for raffle items are $10 each, three for $20 and 12 for $60, and are available at the festival and from band and choir members. Raffle tickets also are available online through the GPAC website: geneseoarts.com. Online tickets may be purchased until 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25th.
The two-day event is sponsored by Geneseo Performing Arts Council (GPAC), and proceeds benefit Geneseo band, choir and drama students