Vikingland Band Festival facts for kids
The Vikingland Band Festival is a big parade marching competition. It happens every year in Alexandria, Minnesota. You can find it on the last Sunday of June. This event started in 1985. Many people think it's the biggest and most important summer marching band contest in the Midwest. It's even seen as the unofficial state championship for parade marching in Minnesota!
This special parade only features marching bands. You won't see any floats or other groups usually found in parades. Bands march with three blocks between them. This helps make sure their music doesn't mix together. Alexandria's main street is extra wide, which is perfect for the bands to show off their skills.
A group of six judges listens and watches each band. They give scores and recorded feedback. Every band gets an award for their placement. The best band in each group wins the title of Class Champion. The band with the highest score overall is named the Grand Champion. Each champion band gets a special flag to keep for one year. If a band wins its champion title three years in a row, they get to keep the flag forever! There are also awards for the best wind section, percussion section, and color guard in each class. One band is also chosen as the "People's Choice" by a group of non-professional judges.
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Who Participates in the Festival?
The Vikingland Band Festival has welcomed many different bands. Since it began in 1985, 95 different bands have joined. Bands have come from seven different states in the USA. These include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Michigan. Bands have also traveled from three Canadian provinces: Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. Even a band from Norway has participated five times!
Many bands that perform are very experienced. They have a long history of being excellent competitors. However, the festival also welcomes younger bands. The people who organize the event believe it's a great experience for any band. They feel it offers valuable lessons in education, hard work, and good sportsmanship.
Showcasing Different Marching Styles
Since 1989, the festival has included "honor bands." These bands don't compete for awards. They are invited to show off different kinds of marching styles. This tradition helps everyone see a variety of performances. Past honor bands have included groups from other countries, military bands, and even bagpipe groups. You might also see drum and bugle corps or special percussion lines.
History of the Grand Champions
Eight different bands have won the top award, which is the Grand Champion title. Here are the bands that have won this prestigious award:
- Long Prairie (1985)
- Henry Sibley High School (1986, 2018, 2019)
- Litchfield (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1998)
- Irondale High School (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996)
- Park Center High School (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012)
- Mankato 77 Lancers (2000, 2002, 2010)
- Waconia Marching Band (2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2016, 2022)
- 728 Cadets (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2023)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, no awards were given. In 2020, the event was an online video format. In 2021, it was a live event, but only ratings were given, not awards. The competition for awards started again in 2022.
Retiring Champion Flags
Since 1989, the festival has given special traveling flags to the Grand Champion and Class Champion bands. A band can "retire" a flag if they win the same title three years in a row. This means they get to keep that flag forever!
Four bands have retired Grand Champion flags:
- Litchfield (1989)
- Irondale (1993, 1996)
- Waconia (2006)
- The 728 Cadets (2015)
Eleven bands have retired Class Champion flags:
- Bertha-Hewitt (1990, 1997)
- Dassel-Cokato (2019)
- Irondale (1993, 1996)
- Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg (2011, 2014, 2017, 2022)
- Litchfield (1989, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2002)
- Long Prairie (1989, 1995, 1998)
- Park Center (1999, 2007)
- Sauk Rapids-Rice (2009)
- Winona Cotter (1994, 2006)
- Waconia (2015)
- The 728 Cadets (2015)
