The Bakersfield City School District is celebrating the excellence of their music programs on Thursday with their 12th Annual Band and Orchestra Standards Festival.

The festival showcases the musical talent's of the district's junior high and middle schools. BCSD says since the festival started 12 years ago, participation in music programs has more than doubled.

This year's performances began at 9:25 a.m. on Thursday and will go on until 5:45 p.m. at the Bakersfield College Performing Arts Center's Indoor Theater.

The festival is open to the public with bands and orchestras performing each half hour throughout the day.