The East Carolina University Marching Pirates are headed to New York City for next year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
ECU announced Wednesday that the Marching Pirates have been selected to perform in the 2027 parade, marking the first time in the band’s 88-year history that it will appear in the nationally televised event.
The band was selected from a pool of about 100 high school and collegiate bands nationwide — and it was chosen based on its first-ever application to participate.
For Marching Pirates Director Dr. Joe Busuito, the invitation represents the culmination of a goal he has had since arriving at ECU in 2020.
“It’s been a goal of mine since I came to East Carolina,” Busuito said. “When I applied for this job and saw the Marching Pirates for the first time, I saw a pretty tremendous opportunity for our program, our school, and we set the students on a task that they were representing the school and the region at the highest possible level.”
Busuito praised the students for the work that went into reaching the milestone — and for supporting him as director.
“As a band director, when you put a challenge before the students and you see them finally arrive at that achievement, there’s nothing that fills a heart more than that. For me, it’s just a life-changing thing; for them it’s that maximum reward.”
Years of preparation
School of Music Director Christopher Ulffers said the Marching Pirates' selection is particularly notable because the band earned the invitation on its first application.
He said the opportunity reflects years of work to build a program capable of attracting the attention of Macy’s parade organizers.
“It is years long,” Ulffers said of the preparation needed. “You develop your resume enough that it will make an impression on the Macy’s folks. We were prepared, and the things Joe has done as director since he’s been here has laid all the groundwork for this moment.”
The Marching Pirates expect to bring about 300 people, along with their instruments, to New York for the week-long trip.
Fundraising for the trip
The band now faces another challenge: raising money to get to New York.
Macy’s is providing $10,000 to help launch the band’s fundraising effort, but ECU estimates it will need to raise about $500,000 to cover the cost of the trip.
The Marching Pirates have launched a fundraising campaign to help cover those expenses.
Support the Marching Pirates' Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade trip
The parade attracts millions of spectators in New York and tens of millions more viewers through television and streaming. For the Marching Pirates, it will be an opportunity to represent East Carolina University and the region on one of the country's biggest holiday stages.
