Cavalcade of Bands
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. 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 150 member bands. It provides competitive performance opportunities for marching bands and jazz ensembles. Cavalcade sanctions approximately 50 field band events as well as about 25 jazz ensemble events annually.
From 1971 to 2020, Cavalcade sanctioned color guard, percussion ensemble, and dance team competitions via the Cavalcade Indoor Drill Association, later the Cavalcade Indoor Association.
Marching band
The first Cavalcade of Bands Championships were hosted in 1970 at the Pennsylvania [Farm Show Complex & Expo Center|Farm Show Arena] in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Prior to 1970, members would designate a competition in October or November as the de facto championship event, but not all member bands would attend. Champions from 1959 to 1969 were included in lists of Open Class Champions after 1970.From September to mid-November, Cavalcade sanctions as many as 50 high school marching band competitions throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Bands are aligned into four to five divisions, frequently called classes, based on the number of performing members in each band:
| Division | Members |
| Independence | Up to 35 members |
| American | 35–50 members |
| Liberty | 51–70 members |
| Yankee | 71–95 members |
| Patriot | More than 95 members |
During championships, member bands are sorted into two broad classes, Open or A Class, based on each bands performance history during the season. Each broad class is then further divided based on number of members. A Class was created in 1996 for bands "new to the competitive arena, limited access to the resources, or are in a growing/rebuilding phase of their program."
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.