The Vikingland Band Festival parade marching championship is held annually in Alexandria, MN.
The Vikingland Band Festival parade marching championship is held
annually in Alexandria, Minnesota on the last Sunday of June. The
event was founded in 1985 and is widely regarded as the midwest's biggest
and most prestigious summer marching band competition. It is often regarded
as the unofficial state championship for parade marching in Minnesota.
The parade features only marching bands. It does not include floats or
other units commonly associated with parades. Bands march at a
three-block interval to prevent their music from blending together.
Alexandria's extra-wide main street provides a venue for
the performances.
A panel of six judges provides recorded feedback and scores for each band.
Placement awards are presented to every band, with the top band in each
class earning the distinction of Class Champion. The overall high
scoring band of the day is named the Grand Champion. Each champion band
is awarded a traveling flag to carry for one year. If a band wins its
champion title for three consecutive years, the band earns the right to
keep the flag. Caption awards are presented for the top wind section,
percussion section and color guard in each class.
One band is named the "People's Choice" by a panel of non-professional
judges.
Although many of the performing bands are experienced competitors with
long-standing traditions of excellence, the festival welcomes younger
bands as well. Organizers believe the education, intensity, and
sportsmanship can provide a valuable experience for any band.
The tradition of including non-competing "honor bands" in the parade was
started in 1989 as a way to showcase a variety of marching styles.
Styles represented have included foreign bands, military bands,
bagpipes, drum and bugle corps, and percussion lines.[1]
History
Eight different bands have earned the title of Grand Champion:
No awards were presented during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (online video format) nor in 2021 (live event with ratings-only format and no awards ceremony). Competition resumed in 2022.
In 1989 the festival began presenting traveling flags to the Grand Champion and Class Champion bands. A band can retire a flag in its honor by winning the title three consecutive years. Three bands have retired Grand Champion flags: Irondale (1993, 1996), Waconia (2006), and 728 Cadets (2015). Eleven bands have retired Class Champion flags: Bertha-Hewitt (1991, 1997), Dassel-Cokato (2019), Irondale (1993, 1996), Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg (2011, 2014, 2017, 2022), Litchfield (1991, 1994, 1997, 2000), Long Prairie (1995, 1998), Park Center (1999, 2007), Sauk Rapids-Rice (2009), Waconia (2005, 2008, 2015), Winona Cotter (1994, 2006), and 728 Cadets (2015, 2023).[2]
