The Cavalcade of Bands is one of many competitive band organizations in the United States and is one of several major circuits in the mid-Atlantic states (other circuits include Tournament of Bands and USBands). Cavalcade was founded in the late 1958 by the members of the Mid-Atlantic Judges Association and its member high schools. The organization currently has over 145 member schools. It provides competitive performance opportunities for marching bands and jazz ensembles. Cavalcade sanctions approximately 42 field band events as well as about 25 jazz ensemble events annually. Formerly, Cavalcade also sanctioned indoor percussion, color guard, and dance team competitions, but for the 2020 season have discontinued this aspect of their program.
Marching Band
The Cavalcade of Bands sanctions about 42 high school marching band competitions throughout each fall from September to mid-November. Bands are judged on a 100-point linear scale by judges both on the field and in the press box. Bands are placed into one of five classes based on their size, and judged only within their class.
The five classes are:
- Independence (1-30 members)
- American (31-45 members)
- Liberty (46-65 members)
- Yankee (66-90 members)
- Patriot (91+ members)
During championship week, bands are divided once more within their class based on their average score throughout the season. Bands with the higher scores are placed into the "Open" division and bands with the lower scores are placed into the "A" division.
On January 1, 2019, the Cavalcade of Bands Honor Band performed in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. The band included over 100 students from 20 high schools in the Mid-Atlantic region.
List of Champions
| Year | Independence | American | Liberty | Yankee | Patriot | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPEN | A | OPEN | A | OPEN | A | OPEN | A | OPEN | A | |
| 1959 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Boyertown | — | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Wilson Boro | — | — | — |
| 1961 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Lebanon | — | — | — |
| 1962 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Wilson Boro | — | — | — |
| 1963 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Boyertown | — | — | — |
| 1964 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Boyertown | — | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Wilson | — | — | — |
| 1966 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Wilson | — | — | — |
| 1967 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Wilson | — | — | — |
| 1968 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Wilson | — | — | — |
| 1969 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Wilson | — | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — | Salisbury | — | — | — | Wilson | — | — | — |
| 1971 | — | — | Plymouth Whitemarsh | — | — | — | Wilson | — | — | — |
| 1972 | — | — | Salisbury | — | — | — | Wilson | — | — | — |
| 1973 | Danville | — | East Pennsboro | — | — | — | Wilson | — | — | — |
| 1974 | Phoenixville | — | CB West | — | — | — | Plymouth Whitemarsh | — | — | — |
| 1975 | Hanover | — | Hatboro Horsham | — | — | — | Plymouth Whitemarsh | — | — | — |
| 1976 | Phoenixville | — | Shikellamy | — | — | — | Abington | — | — | — |
| 1977 | ELCO | — | Shikellamy | — | — | — | Plymouth Whitemarsh | — | — | — |
| 1978 | Upper Merion | — | Hanover | — | Warwick | — | Plymouth Whitemarsh | — | — | — |
| 1979 | South Western | — | Upper Dublin | — | Shikellamy | — | Plymouth Whitemarsh | — | — | — |
| 1980 | Ephrata | — | Manheim Township | — | Cumberland Valley | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1981 | Downingtown | — | Wissahickon | — | Northern Lebanon | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1982 | Phoenixville | — | Archbishop Ryan | — | Manhiem Township | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1983 | Upper Dublin | — | Hanover | — | Upper Moreland | — | Archbishop Ryan | — | — | — |
| 1984 | Upper Dublin | — | Lake Lehman | — | Manheim Township | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1985 | Conrad Weiser | — | Abington | — | Downingtown | — | Shikellamy | — | — | — |
| 1986 | Upper Dublin | — | Wissahickon | — | Upper Moreland | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1987 | Upper Dublin | — | Lake Lehman | — | Upper Moreland | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1988 | Upper Dublin | — | Hatboro Horsham | — | Spring Grove | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1989 | Upper Dublin | — | Upper Moreland | — | Manheim Township | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1990 | Archbishop Wood | — | Spring Grove | — | Hatboro Horsham | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1991 | Archbishop Wood | — | Penn Manor | — | Manheim Township | — | Shikellamy | — | — | — |
| 1992 | Upper Dublin | — | South Western | — | Manheim Township | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1993 | Upper Dublin | — | Penn Manor | — | Hatboro Horsham | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1994 | Upper Dublin | — | South Western | — | Manheim Township | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1995 | Upper Dublin | — | Reading | — | Manheim Township | — | Downington | — | — | — |
| 1996 | Methacton | — | Hatboro Horsham | South Western | — | — | North Penn | — | — | — |
| 1997 | Lancaster Catholic | — | Upper Moreland | West Chester EAST | — | — | Hatboro Horsham | York Suburban / Hempfield (tie) | — | — |
| 1998 | Plymouth Whitemarsh | — | Penn Manor | — | — | — | Lampeter Strasburg | Hempfield | — | — |
| 1999 | Upper Dublin | — | Spring Grove | — | — | — | Lampeter Strasburg | York Suburban | — | — |
| 2000 | Bishop McDevitt | Lebanon Catholic | Lancaster Catholic | — | — | — | South Western | — | — | — |
| 2001 | Lebanon | Phoenixville | South Western | Conestoga Valley | — | — | Manheim Township | — | — | — |
| 2002 | Bishop McDevitt | Lebanon Catholic | Phoenixville | Burlington City | — | — | Manheim Township | Marple Newtown | — | — |
| 2003 | Lakewood | Pitman | Phoenixville | Oakcrest | Hatboro Horsham | West Chester EAST | Reading | South Western | — | — |
| 2004 | Cinnaminson | Upper Dauphin | Phoenixville | Wissahickon | Burlington City | Coatesville | Spring Grove | OJ Roberts | — | — |
| 2005 | Greencastle-Antrim | ChiChester | Kingsway Regional | Lenape | Oakcrest | Burlington City | South Western | Boyertown | — | — |
| 2006 | Penns Grove (92.35) | Pottsgrove (90.20) | Hatboro Horsham (98.05) | Annville Cleona (89.15) | Warwick (96.85) | Conestoga Valley (94.40) | South Western (97.35) | Hempfield (95.20) | — | — |
| 2007 | Henderson (94.25) | Bermudian Springs (83.20) | Susquehannock (95.30) | William Penn (91.55) | Warwick (98.15) | Archbishop Wood (95.05) | Manheim Township (96.65) | Coatesville (94.15) | — | — |
| 2008 | Pittston (95.10) | Upper Perkiomen (91.15) | Hatboro Horsham (93.70) | Blue Mountain (89.85) | Warwick (96.05) | Unionville (95.60) | Spring-Ford (98.10) | Red Lion (90.80) | — | — |
| 2009 | Pittston (96.85) | Bermudian Springs (88.05) | Hatboro Horsham (95.15) | Phoenixville (88.20) | New Oxford (96.40) | York Suburban (89.40) | Spring-Ford (96.15) | OJ Roberts (88.15) | — | — |
| 2010 | Pittston (95.65) | Crestwood (88.90) | Greencastle-Antrim (94.85) | Blue Mountain (93.25) | Southern Regional (96.15) | Manheim Central (89.50) | Spring-Ford (95.95) | Cheltenham (91.15) | — | — |
| 2011 | Pittston (93.20) | Archbishop Wood (87.70) | Haverford (94.45) | Rustin (91.95) | Southern Regional (97.35) | Red Lion (92.05) | Upper Darby (95.75) | Wilson (91.15) | — | — |
| 2012 | E. Stroudsburg North (94.25) | Bermudian Springs (86.96) | Susquehanna Township (95.90) | Pottsgrove (89.95) | Hatboro Horsham (95.25) | South Western (93.00) | Upper Darby (96.65) | Avon Grove (93.65) | — | — |
| 2013 | E. Stroudsburg North (94.25) | Northern Lebanon (88.15) | Plymouth Whitemarsh (97.05) | Blue Mountain (91.60) | Hatboro Horsham (96.85) | South Western (94.40) | Spring-Ford (97.10) | Downingtown WEST (94.40) | — | — |
| 2014 | Pittston (94.55) | Sissonville (87.40) | East Pennsboro (95.10) | Great Valley (91.00) | New Oxford (95.85) | South Western (91.00) | Marple Newtown (96.00) | Upper Dublin (91.80) | Spring-Ford (97.95) | Red Lion (92.50) |
| 2015 | Blue Mountain (94.45) | Sissonville (92.25) | Sun Valley (96.10) | Northampton (92.15) | Hatboro Horsham (97.00) | Daniel Boone (92.30) | Marple Newtown (96.65) | Kennett (91.60) | Upper Moreland (97.70) | Downingtown WEST (91.70) |
| 2016 | Littlestown (97.10) | Cumberland Regional / Palisades (tie) (91.35) | Sun Valley (95.95) | Northampton (93.05) | Susquehannock (98.15) | Cheltenham (93.15) | Marple Newtown (97.20) | Upper Darby (92.00) | Spring-Ford (97.70) | Manheim Central (92.25) |
| 2017 | E. Stroudsburg North (94.05) | Palisades (88.50) | Whitehall (94.75) | Loyalsock Township (89.75) | Susquehannock (96.60) | Great Valley (92.30) | Hempfield (97.30) | Coatesville (90.50) | Spring-Ford (96.75) | Downingtown East (90.60) |
| 2018 | Cinnaminson (93.70) | Dieruff (85.60) | Whitehall (96.40) | Shikellamy (89.85) | Susquehannock (97.40) | Northern York (92.70) | Hempfield (96.95) | Upper Darby (90.80) | Spring-Ford (95.75) | Cumberland Valley (91.10) |
| 2019 | Cinnaminson (94.10) | York Catholic (89.35) | Whitehall (97.50) | Loyalsock Township (92.70) | Camp Hill (94.85) | Washington Township (89.70) | Hempfield (97.10) | Red Lion (92.00) | Nazareth Area (96.10) | Neshaminy (90.40) |
| 20201 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021 | Whitehall (95.65) | Susquehannock (96.80) | South Western (91.91) | Phoenixville (92.50) | Upper Moreland (93.225) | Nazareth Area (96.25) | Red Lion (90.53) | Spring-Ford (96.30) | Cedar Crest (92.57) | |
| 2022 | Haddon Heights (96.100) | Biglerville (95.985) | Williamsport Area (96.000) | Hazleton Area (94.035) | Susquehannock (97.150) | Eastern York (93.460) | Warwick (94.250) | Pennridge (95.100) | Nazareth Area (97.650) | Cedar Crest (92.515) |
| 2023 | Biglerville (92.550) | Donegal (94.075) | Sun Valley (94.000) | Pottsgrove (94.325) | Susquehannock (94.750) | Greencastle-Antrim (93.525) | Nazareth Area (95.650) | South Western (91.475) | Upper Moreland (97.400) | Red Lion Area (93.525) |
Notes
Indoor activities
Cavalcade of Bands has discontinued the "Cavalcade Indoor Association" portion of their program beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. Information below refers to Cavalcade-sponsored indoor events prior to 2020.
The Cavalcade Indoor Association is one of several circuits for indoor shows in the mid-Atlantic states (other circuits include MAIN, TOB, KIDA, and TRWEA). The indoor season generally runs from late January to the first weekend in May. Classifications are as follows:
- Middle School/Junior - For students in middle school or up to the age of 14.
- Regional A - For color guards only
- Novice - For color guards and percussion
- A class - For color guards and percussion
- Open class - For Percussion Only
- World class - For Percussion Only
All units entering the championship contest must be members in good standing of CIA. Championship Seeding is determined by the average of the last two shows completed.