Lake Zurich High School band preparing to march in London New Year's Day parade

While most of their classmates are resting up in preparation for the second half of the school year, members of Lake Zurich High School's marching band will be traveling across the pond over winter break to take part in London's New Year's Day Parade 2020.

Band members held their final rehearsal Monday in preparation for its appearance in the prestigious event, then packed up their instruments for shipment overseas Tuesday. Students and chaperones will fly over Dec. 27 and return Jan. 3.

It will be the Lake Zurich band's third time marching in the invite-only London parade, following previous appearances in 2002 and 2005, said band director Josh Thompson.

"Once they're aware of your program and what your program is all about, they want you back," Thompson said of parade organizers Youth Music of the World.

The 3½-mile parade is expected to feature as many as 10,000 participants from the United Kingdon, United States and continental Europe performing for a half-million spectators along the parade route and a TV audience estimated at 300 million.

The Lake Zurich band tries to make an international trip every three years, giving all members at least one chance to perform abroad while in high school. Along with the two prior trips to London, the band has marched in events in Dublin, Madrid and Paris.

Thompson said the tours are as much about exposing students to other parts of the world and new cultures as they are about performing on a global stage.

"It's really about how much more of an educational experience it is compared with playing a (college) bowl game in the States," he said.

Besides taking part in the parade, students' time in London will include sightseeing trips to historic locations and opportunities to take small group excursions like a "Harry Potter" tour and Rock 'n' Roll tour.

Some students also will perform in a Dec. 29 at Cadogan Hall in London.