Clarinda’s 71st Annual Southwest Iowa Band Jamboree returns Saturday, October 3rd, featuring 40 middle and high school bands competing in the downtown parade and an afternoon field show at Clarinda High School Football Stadium.
CLARINDA, IA - The Southwest Iowa Band Jamboree scheduled for Saturday, October 3 marks the 71st year of the festival and is sponsored by the Clarinda Chamber of Commerce, the Clarinda Community Schools, and the City of Clarinda. Drawing 40 high school and middle school bands from Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska, more than 2,000 students plan to take part in the daylong festival. Katy Ridge chairs the 2026 Band Jamboree and Julie Murren as Vice Chairperson.
The parade begins at 9 a.m. around the downtown square area. The afternoon field activities start at 12:45 p.m. with the flag-raising ceremony conducted by the American Legion Sergy Post No. 98 at the Clarinda High School Football Stadium. This year's 71st Annual event will begin at 12:50 p.m. with parade award presentations. The Clarinda High School band will perform their exhibition show followed by the afternoon field competition. Spectators will be charged an admission fee of $7 for adults and $5 for students. School activity tickets will not be accepted.
Thirty-five awards will be presented this year. Bands placing in the parade competition include 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th in each high school class; 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place in each middle school class. Field awards include 1st and 2nd place in each high school class. The Glenn Miller Birthplace Society awards an overall trophy to the top band considering both parade and field performances. The Richard "Dick" Mowery Memorial Traveling trophy will also be awarded to the top overall band.
The Band Jamboree Committee is pleased to announce the following parade judges for this year are: Lead Adjudicator Wayne Lu, Director of Bands of Carroll High School from Carroll, Iowa; Dr. Onsby Rose, Director of Bands at Dordt University from Sioux Center, Iowa and Chris Ewan, Retired Band Director of Ames High School from Ames, Iowa.
The field competition judges are Wayne Lu - Music Execution; Dr. Onsby Rose - Music General Effect; Chris Ewan - Percussion; Pam DeBoer, Retired Band Director, Ottumwa Community Schools from Ottumwa, Iowa - Color Guard; Dusty Johnson, Band Director of Tipton Middle School, from Tipton, Iowa - Marching & Maneuvering Execution; Dr. Lance Nielsen, Retired Band Director from Lincoln, Nebraska - Marching & Maneuvering General Effect; and Zach Evans, Clarinda Community School District Director of Choral Activities from Clarinda, Iowa - Technical Judge.