A summer entertainment favorite returns to Rome. Drums along the Mohawk is back for its 34th year. Thursday night, the sights and sounds will fill the city. Our Iris St. Meran has the details.

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ONEIDA COUNTY, N.Y. -- RFA stadium is empty now, but come Thursday evening, up to 5,000 people are expected to fill the stands. Drums along the Mohawk has been entertaining the community for three decades.

This year, the Madison Scouts of Wisconsin return to the stadium, and they are the headliners. Six other drum corps from around the country, including Arizona and Colorado, will also perform. This event is part of the 2012 Drum Corps International’s World Tour.

Drums along the Mohawk started as a fundraiser for music students to participate in this activity, and that remains true now. In fact, this is the 20th anniversary for the Tour Award which is given to New York students who march with a DCI Drum Corp

"They have to pay actually to belong to the drum corps. Because there are no drum corps in New York State for them to march with they have to go out of state. So their expenses are pretty substantial. We try to do what we can to offset some of that," said Claudette Wire, Drums along the Mohawk director.

This year, two students from Central New York are recipients: London Rolland from New Hartford and Daniel Sullivan from Syracuse.

There's another honor, the Tony Pallegrino award, and that is going to Daniel Smith from Johnstown. He's won the award the past four years.