Tournament of Drums

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The Tournament of Drums won't be held in 2025 due to changes to the Drum Corps International Open Class tour schedule. However,  we are still accepting donations to our scholarship fund, which helps students with Iowa ties experience the life-changing activity of drum corps.

The Tournament of Drums drum and bugle corps competition in Cedar Rapids dates back to 1950 and was first held at Hawkeye Downs. It later moved to Kingston Stadium and for many years was sponsored by the Emerald Knights Drum & Bugle Corps, which was active from 1965 to 2001. The Grant Wood drum corps then hosted the show until 2006. After an absence of 9 years, the competition was revived by a group of Emerald Knights/Nite Express alumni in 2015 and was held in 2015, '16, '17, '18, '19, '22, and '23, with a break in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.  The Tournament of Drums was voted best Open Class tour event in 2016, '17 and '18.