Create a Profile
3rd Annual Celebration of Bagpipes / Music Festival
May 17, 2025
Bel Air High School and the Bel Air Classic Highlander Clan Alumni group are excited to announce the Celebration of Bagpipes III event at Bel Air May 17, 2025. This year’s event is an expansion of the celebration last year which highlighted the various bagpipe bands in the area with a concert that included the El Paso Police and Firefighters Pipe and Drum Corp along with the Empyre Pipe and Drum Corp and of course, Bel Air’s own bagpipe band.
Throughout the decades, Bel Air's Pipe and Drum Corp kept the dream alive, (envisioned by JM Hanks during Worl War II) to provide the sound of bagpipes at football games, music festivals, parades, music festivals, international competitions, graduation ceremonies, presidential visits and, of course, the raising of flags and presentation of the colors around the El Paso area.
This year’s event will be a full music festival held in Bel air’s Courtyard and will feature popular local bands and talent as well as popular food trucks and booth activities from 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM.
Funds raised from CoB3 will support The John Estes Scholarship Fund to help a deserving Piper or Drummer continue their education after graduation. The Scholarship is also designed to bring attention to the rich tradition of Bel Air’s Bagpipe Band and raise awareness of the importance of the band’s contribution not only to Bel Air, but to the City of El Paso and the southwest region. Bel Air is the only public high school in Texas that has a bagpipe band and one of only a handful in the United States.
Tickets and CoB3 merchandise are available online at the Classic Highlander website: https://myevent.com/belairclassichighlander or can be purchased the day of the event. Pricing and sponsorship information is also found in the attachment below along with event schedule details and food truck information.
Donation to the Scholarship Fund can be made directly to the Ysleta Educational Foundation: Ysleta Education Foundation / Homepage (yisd.net) who are managing the program in conjunction with the Bel Air High School Classic Highlander Clan or online as well on the Classic Highlander website.
If you need further information or details, text or email:
John Watson ‘71 – (801) 664 1649
watson.johnt@yahoo.com
