The 440th Army Band will perform at Roanoke Island Festival Park, beginning at 8 p.m. (gates open at 6 p.m.), for the July 4th Celebration. Fireworks, provided by the Town of Manteo, will begin at dark. Food vendors will be on site and The Museum Store will be selling select items. Parking is on a first-serve basis. Handicapped Parking is available until filled (proper permit required). Bring chairs, blankets or tarps- no dogs. It is a free event. Roanokeisland.comThe 440th Army Band has served as the State’s National Guard Band under several designations since the early 1900’s. The Band was activated in World War II as the 30th Infantry Division Band along with the rest of the North Carolina National Guard as the “Old Hickory Division.” It served with distinction landing on the beach at Normandy and fighting in the Battle of the Bulge for which the band carries honors awarded by France and Belgium. The Band was re-designated the 440th Army Band in 1973 and performs for troops and their families and for the citizens of North Carolina at ceremonies, public concerts, and parades.
Since September 11, 2001 the Band has performed over 500 ceremonies for deploying and returning North Carolina National Guardsmen and their families. The 440th Army Band is comprised of citizen soldiers who in civilian life are college students, educators, business men and women, and professional people. The Band has earned numerous awards including Outstanding North Carolina National Guard unit and has earned the Eisenhower trophy three times as an outstanding Army unit.
The 440th Army Band is commanded by Chief Warrant Officer Four Mark B. Cummings. In his civilian life he is retired and teaches ballroom dancing. The Mission of Army Bands has changed over the past decade. The need for smaller units, with flexibility and variety in use, developed a modular structure within Army Bands. Although the Concert Band still performs, the majority of their missions are supported with Musical Performance Teams including: Concert/Ceremonial Band; Marching Band; Jazz Patriots; Emancipated Patriots; Jazz Octet; Rock Band; Liberty Brass and Guardians.
Roanoke Island Festival Park is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov. ( photo attached)