Bluecoats Announces Lineup For New Bluecoats Summer Music Series, Includes Bringing Annual Drum Corps Contest to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium & Enshrinement Week
Bluecoats Summer Music Series includes a jam-packed July 4th Weekend in Northeast Ohio:
The Blue Way Summer Arts Camp at the University of Mount Union
Opening Night Community Celebration at the University of Mount Union
Bluecoats Party in the Plaza at Centennial Plaza, downtown Canton
Fourth of July Performance in Northeast Ohio
And the return of our major August drum corps show to Stark County. Innovations in Brass will become an official event of Enshrinement Week and will move to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
Today we announced the largest portfolio of Northeast Ohio events in our organization’s fifty-one year history. Under the new name of the Bluecoats Summer Music Series, we’re bringing five major events to Canton and Stark County during the 2023 summer season, including the return of the annual Bluecoats Party in the Plaza in Downtown Canton.
Most notably, our largest drum corps contest, which annually sees nearly 10,000 attendees, will return to Stark County for the first time since 2018 and will become an official event of the 2023 Enshrinement Week, powered by Johnson Controls. Innovations In Brass, presented by Stanbury Uniforms, one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious Drum Corps International Summer Tour events will host the world-champion Bluecoats, the Boston Crusaders, and five more of the nation’s finest drum & bugle corps at Tom Benson Hall of Fame stadium on Monday, August 7th. It will be the final event of the week-long Hall of Fame celebrations that annually puts Canton on the map.
Jim Porter, President & CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame had this to say about the announcement, “For years, many of the top drum corps in America competed in Stark County as part of the final event of the annual Enshrinement Festival. The competition was fierce, and it prepared the squads for their world championships that followed. This year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is proud to welcome the world-class Bluecoats to Canton on Aug. 7 as part of the Bluecoats Summer Music Series. The show promises a level of musical skill and movement precision that will thrill the audience at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.”
A New Pre-Season Kick-off Event In Stark County
July 1, 2023
Last month, Bluecoats and the University of Mount Union announced the relocation of Bluecoats’ Spring Training to the Mt. Union campus. This move will bring the 300-person, six-week operation to Stark County, and enables us to host more events in the Northeast Ohio area than ever before. To celebrate this new home, the 2023 Bluecoats Summer Music Series will kick off with a brand new Opening Night Community Celebration at Kehres Stadium at Mt. Union on Saturday, July 1st. This public event will feature the world-premiere of the 2023 Bluecoats and the Bluecoats-operated Rhythm IN BLUE ensemble, as well as guest performances from Bluecoats’ Community Partners such as the En-Rich-Ment Drumline and Danceline. The Bluecoats Marketplace will be onsite with brand-new 2023 Bluecoats fan gear, and the event will feature a VIP reception for members of The Shield, the Bluecoats’ annual giving society.
More information about the event can be found at bluecoats.com/events.
The Return of The Blue Way Summer Arts Camp June 30 - July 1, 2023
A favorite event for high school and college students across the country, The Blue Way Summer Arts Camp returns to Bluecoats’ summer programming this year at our new home in Stark County! The two-day event is an opportunity for young marching band students, many of whom aspire to march in the Bluecoats or another drum corps, to live and rehearse alongside the Bluecoats for two days at Spring Training. The camp, which includes overnight accommodations and a commuter option, features the Bluecoats educational staff, rehearsal in sectionals and right alongside the Bluecoats, and even a joint performance with the Bluecoats at the new Opening Night Community Celebration! Parents are encouraged to attend!
Registration is open now at bluecoats.com/theblueway.
Bluecoats Party in the Plaza Returns Bigger Than Ever! July 2, 2023
Since its launch in 2021, Bluecoats Party in the Plaza has become a fan-favorite event in Canton, OH! Held each year on the first Sunday of July at Canton’s Centennial Plaza, this block party features an afternoon and evening of local music, food trucks, vendors, and a FREE concert by the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps! “Bluecoats Party in the Plaza was an effort to reintroduce the Bluecoats to Canton after the cancellation of our 2020 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Mike Scott, CEO of Bluecoats. “Since then it has become a cherished event with thousands of Northeast Ohioans flocking to Centennial Plaza to catch the Bluecoats at the start of their national tour. We love the event!”
Bluecoats Party in the Plaza will return bigger than ever this year, expanding the block party onto Market Ave and bringing in more vendors and food trucks. This once-a-year chance to send the Bluecoats off on their national tour and celebrate another Bluecoats Summer Music Series is free to the public!
Information can be found at partyintheplaza.org.
The Fourth Of July
July 4, 2023
Drum corps performing on the Fourth of July is a storied American tradition, and the Bluecoats are no exception! Last year the Bluecoats and the nearly 500-person Bluecoats Alumni Corps celebrated the fourth with Canton in a bombastic performance at the McKinley Monument during the annual Monumental Fourth event. This year, the Bluecoats will again be in Northeast Ohio for the Fourth of July. Information about the corps performance will be announced later this year.
Innovations In Brass, presented by Stanbury Uniforms Joins Enshrinement Week!
August 7, 2023
Each summer nearly 10,000 drum corps fans descend on Northeast Ohio for Bluecoats’ running of one of America’s greatest drum corps shows. This year, this Ohio tradition returns to Canton, OH and to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week, powered by Johnson Controls! The event, featuring seven of the world’s greatest drum corps, will begin at 7:00p at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. This event is not only the final event of the 2023 Enshrinement Week, but held on the Monday of DCI World Championships Week! That means it’s one of the best chances to see DCI’s greatest corps compete before they head to Indianapolis and compete for the coveted DCI World Championship Founders Trophy.
In addition to the drum corps contest, the event will feature the performance of Bluecoats’ Rhythm IN BLUE ensemble, and the induction of the 2023 class of the Bluecoats Hall of Fame.
Bluecoats Seeks Support & Partnership Opportunities for the Summer Music Series
“This is perhaps the largest investment in local major events we have ever made as an organization,” said Elizabeth Clayton, Sr. Manager, Brand & Special Projects. “We think this is a wonderful opportunity for local companies and individuals who believe in our mission of providing music and arts programming to young people, to align with us and share in our goals.” The Bluecoats organization has made many key sponsorship positions available for organizations that would like to help make the Bluecoats Summer Music Series return successfully year after year. Information about sponsorship opportunities can be found at bluecoats.com/sponsorship.
