A Bear in the Big Apple

For Will Clarkston, of Willow Springs, color guard is a passion. Spinning, tossing, marching, executing the routine – this is where he finds his peace, where he can clear his mind. This Thanksgiving, Clarkston’s passion took him all the way to New York City. Not only did this high school senior earn the chance to march in the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but he also earned one of three center spots in the formation. The nearly century-old traditional parade is televised from coast to coast, and there – in the midst of it all - was Will Clarkston from Willow Springs, part of the Macy’s Great American Marching Band.

Clarkston’s path to the Upper West Side began in January 2024, when he prepared a video audition. He has been in color guard since the eighth grade, he reports. He has performed with both Willow Springs High School marching band and with Spintronix in Cabool. In May, he learned he was accepted to perform with the Great American Marching Band in the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

“It felt great,” Clarkson told Howell County News in a Dec. 7 interview. “That’s the first step for me to do more with color guard in adulthood.”

 

Fast forward to the week of the parade, and Clarkson traveled to the Big Apple for rehearsals. He was in his element. 

 

“It was fantastic,” Clarkston said. “They were all there for the same reason that I was. It was so cool to be in the color guard world, to talk to each other -- being able to see that we can all do the same tricks.”

 

After a day of sightseeing, including taking in a Rockettes performance, the crew settled down to rehearsal. From 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm., they learned the routine. 

 

The nip of competition was in the air – Clarkston soon learned that the instructors choose three athletes for a center position most likely to be on camera. 

 

“It was really competitive,” he said. “It’s more intense up there. Everyone knows the tricks you do.”

 

According to Clarkson, his passion is what sets him apart. The hard work and passion were enough – he earned one of the three top spots. In televised coverage of the parade, Clarkson is front and center – gracefully waiving a crimson flag as the band performs Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” in the Macy’s Herald Square. 

 

The moments that will stick with him the most are the people he met, and the friendships he made, Clarkston said. A friend he made in rehearsals earned the very center spot of the three, and they were side-by-side for the unforgettable experience. 

 

“I’m always going to take that memory with me - standing right beside my new guard friend, turning around and smiling at her,” he said. 

 

A senior at Willow Springs High School, Clarkston has aged out of participating in the parade again. He does hope to participate in the centennial celebration of the parade, when alumni of the Great American Marching Band will be invited back to audition. He is headed to the University of Central Missouri next year, where he plans to study elementary education. Clarkston hopes to train to become a flight attendant and remain in color guard as an instructor. 

 

See Clarkston’s performance in the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade via YouTube. The color guard portion is at the 1:00 mark in most videos.