As the 2025 marching band season approaches, Cavalcade of Bands is excited to unveil a series of updates, new initiatives, and expanded opportunities designed to enhance the educational and performance experiences for students and directors alike!
Season Schedule & Hosting Opportunities
The 2025 Cavalcade of Bands season will feature 30 unique events across the circuit, providing numerous opportunities for ensembles to showcase their talent. A limited number of hosting opportunities remain available, contingent on geographic location. Interested schools should contact marchingband@cavalcadeofbands.com for more information.
New Partnership with Music for All
Cavalcade of Bands is proud to announce a joint venture with Music for All, expanding opportunities for participating bands. The Warwick Invitational, scheduled for October 4, 2025, will serve as both a Cavalcade-sanctioned event and A Music for All Affiliate Marching Band Event, presented by Yamaha. This marks an exciting step in bringing nationally recognized adjudication and performance opportunities to Cavalcade ensembles.
Championship Venues Confirmed
All three championship venues (Dallastown HS, New Oxford HS, and Cumberland Valley HS) will serve as our hosts again on Saturday, November 1, 2025. The division and class breakdowns for each site will be released later in the summer.
Updated Size Classifications
Beginning in 2025, Cavalcade will restructure its competitive divisions to better reflect ensemble sizes across the circuit. The four primary divisions—Independence, American, Liberty, and Yankee—will remain, but with an equal distribution of groups to ensure more meaningful competitive matchups. Specific size breakdowns will be shared with members by late spring or early summer.
General Effect Caption Adjustments
As marching arts evolve, so does Cavalcade’s adjudication process. The "Overall Effect – Music" and "Overall Effect – Visual" captions will now be consolidated under a single "General Effect" category. Each competition will still feature two General Effect judges, who will provide holistic evaluations of each band’s performance, offering more comprehensive feedback.
Championship Specialty Award Adjustments
As a trial for the 2025 championship events, the criteria for “High Music” and “High Visual” awards will now incorporate specialty caption scores from Percussion and Color Guard, respectively. This change aims to further recognize outstanding performance contributions in these key areas.
Administrative & Adjudication Enhancements
Cavalcade remains committed to providing high-quality experiences for all participants. To support this mission, the organization has:
Updated by-laws and operational documents to better serve members.
Expanded its adjudication roster, securing commitments from judges spanning from Massachusetts to Texas to provide fresh perspectives and insights.
Membership Fee Adjustment
To accommodate the growing demand for high-quality adjudication and enhanced services, Cavalcade’s Board of Directors has approved an increase in the annual membership fee. While any increase is never ideal, this adjustment ensures continued excellence in adjudication and operations. The updated membership fee structure can be viewed here.
Key Registration Dates
NOW – Directors can indicate interest in participating in the inaugural Warwick Invitational on October 4. Registration for this event will not be handled through Competition Suite but this link!
MARCH 4 – Happy Marching Music Day! Registration for all Cavalcade events will officially open at 8:00 AM on Competition Suite.
A Vision for the Future
Cavalcade of Bands remains dedicated to serving its members through ongoing collaboration, innovation, and excellence in music education. As the organization looks ahead to 2025, the input and engagement of its member directors continue to shape the future.
"Cavalcade continues to commit to providing the best opportunities for member bands. The board of directors has worked tirelessly to hear what our membership desires and we know that the updates outlined provide a roadmap to the future of this organization. We look forward to amazing events and experiences this fall!"
For any marching season questions, please contact Justin A. McAdams, CEO: ceo@cavalcadeofbands.com.
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