Katelyn Hess, a trumpet player and junior at Free State High School, practices on Nov. 19 at Free State. Hess has been chosen to perform in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with Macy's Great American Marching Band alongside approximately 200 high-schoolers from across the country.

More than 50 million TV viewers tune in every year to watch the balloons, floats and various entertainers strut down New York City streets in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This year, just like last, they’ll find at least one Lawrencian amid the glitz and spectacle of the Big Apple tradition.

Katelyn Hess, a junior at Free State High School, is the second Lawrence resident in as many years to perform with the Macy’s Great American Marching Band in the parade.

Katelyn Hess, a trumpet player and junior at Free State High School, practices on Nov. 19 at Free State. Hess has been chosen to perform in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with Macy's Great American Marching Band alongside approximately 200 high-schoolers from across the country.

“I thought I’d try out, like, ‘No big deal, try out and see what happens,'” said Katelyn, who plays trumpet in her school’s marching band. “When the letter came two weeks later, I was really surprised. It was total shock.”

The 16-year-old is the sole Kansan selected for this year’s band, which includes about 200 high school students from all 50 states.

Katelyn, a trumpeter since the sixth grade, said she was inspired to audition after seeing Megan Towle, then a sophomore at Lawrence High School, with her trombone in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band during last year’s parade.

“It was all her. She really did all the work,” Jason Hess said of his daughter, who only sought her parents’ assistance when she asked to borrow the family’s video camera for her audition. “When she wants to do something, she just tries it out — she’s never been afraid to try new things.”

Katelyn, who also plays tennis and sings in the choir at Free State, received her sheet music in the mail about a month ago. She’s nervous — “I’ve never performed for so many people,” she said — but, given her experience in the FSHS marching band, she’s not worried about nailing the formations, which she and her bandmates will execute over a 2-mile route that begins in Central Park and ends with a grand finale at Macy’s Herald Square.

The week leading up to the big show is packed with all the quintessential tourist activities — including a bus tour of New York City, a theater performance and a trip to Times Square — in addition to plenty of rehearsal time.

And swimming in the hotel pool. It’s a high school band trip, after all.

“I’m most looking forward to meeting a bunch of cool people from throughout the country who have the same interests as me,” Katelyn said.

Back in Lawrence, she’ll have plenty of support from her bandmates at Free State and her band director, Randy Fillmore — “he’s really happy for me,” she said.

When the aspiring music teacher left for New York City recently, she was traveling by herself for the first time ever. Her family — mom Kristin, dad Jason and younger sister Alyssa — joined her a few days later in time for some sightseeing and the parade on Thanksgiving.

“This has been such a neat thing to watch her grow with and take charge of herself,” Jason Hess said. “We couldn’t be prouder.”