Southwind of Mobile, Ala., performs Aug. 4, 2023, at Tournament of Drums, held for the first time at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Tournament of Drums, which traces its history back to 1950, was held Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, at a new location.

The annual competition, featuring seven drum & bugle corps from across the United States and Canada, moved to the Prairie High School stadium for the first time.

Known as the Hawkeye Tournament of Drums when it originated June 17, 1950, at Hawkeye Downs, the competition moved in 1956 to Kingston Stadium, where it was held for decades, with a turn at Linn-Mar High School in Marion due to construction in 2019.

A scheduling conflict at Kingston Stadium led to the relocation to Prairie High School, which has a connection to generations of drum corps alumni in Cedar Rapids as a rehearsal site for the Emerald Knights Drum & Bugle Corps.

The show – a three-time recipient of the Best Drum Corps International Open Class Tour Event – featured 2022 DCI Open Class runner-up Gold of Bakersfield, Calif.; the Colt Cadets of Dubuque; The Battalion, of Salt Lake City, Utah; River City Rhythm of Anoka, Minn.; Southwind of Mobile, Ala.; and Les Stentors of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Conquest, of Geneseo, Ill., performed in exhibition.

A picture-perfect night with warm temperatures greeted the crowd and performers.

Tournament of Drums is co-hosted by the nonprofit Iowa Music & Arts Association and the Colt Cadets.

Learn more about the history of drum & bugle corps in Cedar Rapids.

Scores from the show, which featured Open Class corps, were:

  1. Gold 79.150
  2. Southwind 76.200
  3. The Battalion 71.550
  4. River City Rhythm 68.950
  5. Colt Cadets 65.650
  6. Les Stentors 63.450

See more photos from Tournament of Drums, below:

A crowd lines up outside the Prairie High School stadium for Tournament of Drums in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
News anchor Jim Mertens of KCRG-TV9 served as Tournament of Drums emcee. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell welcomes the crowd to Tournament of Drums on Aug. 4, 2023. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Marion American Legion Post 298 presents the colors at the start of Tournament of Drums. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The New Midwest Quartet, with Bob Stewart, Tim Stanley, Todd Kiser and Fred Kiser, perform the National Anthem at Tournament of Drums. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Emerald Knights and Nite Express alumni sell T-shirts and drum corps history books at the Prairie High School stadium. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Conquest, of Geneseo, Ill., performs in exhibition at Tournament of Drums. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Audience members hold up signs for Conquest. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
River City Rhythm of Anoka, Minn., performs during Tournament of Drums. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Les Stentors, of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, perform Aug. 4, 2023, during Tournament of Drums. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The Battalion, of Salt Lake City, Utah, performs at Tournament of Drums in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
A trombone quartet performs with Southwind of Mobile, Ala. Trombones are allowed, but valved brass instruments are typically used in drum & bugle corps. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Gold Drum & Bugle Corps, of San Diego, Calif., performs Aug. 4, 2023, at Prairie High School. The corps won Tournament of Drums. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
The Colt Cadets of Dubuque, Iowa, perform during Tournament of Drums. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Members of the Colt Cadets join arms during their encore performance. The corps co-hosts Tournament of Drums. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Tournament of Drums was held this year for the first time in its long history at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
A knight served as the mascot for Tournament of Drums in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)