On Saturday, Feb. 8, Jesuit High School Sacramento will be hosting its 15th annual Marauder Mardi Gras, formerly known as the Jazz Dinner. In a night filled with music, entertainment, and delicious desserts, the Jesuit band will be performing throughout the night to show off their skills and to raise funds for the program. 

Compared to previous years, this dinner will now be showcasing other parts of the Jesuit band program beyond the jazz section, allowing for an exciting introduction to build up to the main jazz showing.

“Prior years, while we still used the proceeds for the entire instrumental department, we only showcased the jazz group as a highlight group of the event,” said Director of Music Mr. Michael Loya. “This year, we’re bringing more groups into the mix, to lead up to that highlight jazz group, but I think more importantly to just show off a little more robustness of the department and give people a chance to strut their stuff other than our jazz group.”

Having been a dedicated member of the band for all four of his years at Jesuit, Jace Kim ’25 looks forward to setting up the band for a successful future by passing on his knowledge and skills to the younger members of the band.

“I’m most looking forward to playing music with the underclassmen,” Jace said. “This is my fourth jazz dinner, and I was once an underclassman performing and looking up to upperclassmen who inspired me to continue music.”

An audience of any age can enjoy the music and entertainment at this event. Mr. Loya wants this event to be something that ties the Jesuit community together through the music of the students, with support and encouragement coming from both friends and family.

“If you haven’t experienced the Marauder Mardi Gras, it is a super, super cool thing for any age: for family, for friends, for friends of the musicians, for family of the musicians, for friends of friends,” Mr. Loya said. “[It’s] another good example of something Jesuit does really well – have these events that bring people together, to support a cause, and we look forward to hopefully seeing many people there.” 

The Marauder Mardi Gras dinner and showcase has become a Jesuit tradition, in which families get together to support students and enjoy the company of the greater Jesuit community. Buy your tickets from the Jesuit website here to support the amazing band program.