Governor Livingston High School's marching band heads to Madison on Sunday, Oct. 4, for the annual Tournament of Bands competition at Ted Monica Stadium.

The Highlanders are one of 14 visiting bands set to perform at the event, hosted by the Madison High School Marching Dodgers, according to a Patch event listing. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. Competition begins at noon.

The Madison Junior School Band plays the national anthem at 11:45 a.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, and free for children 10 and under wearing Madison's maroon and gold. Food and beverages will be available at the Hut, a concession stand near the football field, along with a bake sale tent.

The GL band enters the fall season with momentum. In April, the Highlanders traveled to Norfolk, Virginia, for the 73rd annual NATO Parade of Nations, where they earned the only Gold Rating among 12 competing high school bands, according to TAPinto Berkeley Heights. The band also took home awards for Best Marching, Best Music and Overall Grand Champion.

Band Director Nicholas O'Sullivan told TAPinto in May that the band "had to apply and be accepted into being in the parade, and then do a lot of rehearsing to make sure that we were up to par with all the other groups that were there." O'Sullivan has led the Highlander Marching Band since 2007, according to the band's website. He and fellow band director Josef Ellis traveled with the group to Norfolk.

The Madison competition is the first of two major October dates for the Highlanders. Governor Livingston hosts its own 55th Annual Pageant of Champions Marching Band Tournament on Sunday, Oct. 18, with performances starting at 12:30 p.m.

Other visiting bands at the Oct. 4 event include nearby Chatham High School, along with schools from Belleville, Bloomfield, Hoboken, Kearny and eight others. Russ Batsch, the Madison Marching Dodgers' program director, said the competition field is strong. The event is open to the public at Madison High School, 170 Ridgedale Ave., Madison.