MarchFourth Marching Band to Kick-Off the Marin County Fair with Parade

The MarchFourth Marching Band will kick off the with a parade of stilt-walkers, unicyclists, fire eaters, puppets, acrobats and flag twirlers that travels across the fairgrounds on Saturday afternoon. 

The large band, which fans call M4, consists of roughly 20 musicians and includes a horn section, an electric bass and a drum and percussion corps. The parade, a celebration somewhere between Mardi Gras and Burning Man, will begin at 2 p.m. and a concert begins at 3 p.m. 

The band fittingly started as a Fat Tuesday party in Portland in 2003 (it got its name from the date of the first show: March 4) and has since steadily toured the nation, according to the band’s website. The musicians and performers bring audiences from Louisiana swamps to gypsy camps of Eastern Europe to the African jungle by way of Brazil, along the way stopping to sample the deepest grooves of the best of American funk, rock, jazz and boiling it all together in cinematic fashion with high-stepping stilt-acrobatics and dancers, according to the band’s website.

Crucial to the group is a “do-it-yourself” ethic. The performers created all of M4’s music, costumes, merchandise and choreography, contributing to the group’s eclectic look. Some of the crafty band members have even honed their skills into micro businesses offering services ranging from hula-hooping lessons to handyman services while on the road.

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Fair Concert: MarchFouth Marching Band

Time: Saturday, June 30, 2 p.m. parade, 3 p.m. concert

Where: Marin County Fairgrounds

Cost: Free with fair admission ($16 adults, $14 children & seniors)