Seventeen high school marching bands from across Illinois will roll into Romeoville this Saturday for the ninth annual Spartan Classic, a daylong competition at Spartan Stadium that doubles as a season-defining tune-up before the state finals later this month. Gates open at noon, the first band steps off at 12:45 p.m., and the host Romeoville High School Marching Spartans close the night at 6:45 p.m. with their 2026 production, “The Amazon.”
The Spartan Classic has grown into one of the bigger single-day marching band gatherings in the region, and as reported by Shaw Local, this year's field includes Round Lake, Providence Catholic, Marengo, Bloom Township, Morris Community, Glenbrook South, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harold Richards, Buffalo Grove, Plainfield South, Joliet West, Grayslake Central, Rolling Meadows, Warren Township, Oswego, John Hersey and A.A. Stagg. The Cornerstone Drumline of Joliet is also slated to showcase its 2026 production during the day's events. Competing bands are split into three classes based on size, with top finishers in each class recognized alongside specialized caption awards for outstanding percussion, color guard, visual effects, drum major and music, plus an overall grand champion award for the highest score regardless of class size.
Scoring Rules and What Winners Take Home
Performances are judged using the Bands of America evaluation rubric, which scores music execution, visual performance and general effect — the same standardized system used across much of the state's competitive marching circuit. Caption award winners don't just walk away with trophies, either. The same report notes that top performers in categories like percussion and color guard receive practical equipment for their programs, including snare drums, flag packages, tuners and metronomes, turning a single Saturday's performance into a resource boost for visiting music departments. Proceeds from admission — $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, a $40 family package covering two adults and two students or seniors, and free entry for children 5 and younger — go toward funding Romeoville's own marching band program.
Romeoville's band has plenty of recent momentum to build on heading into its home event. The Marching Spartans took first place at the Stagg Marching Jamboree in Palos Hills last year and again at the Red and Black Fall Classic in DeKalb, and the band's percussion section earned a Best Percussion award at the Victor J. Andrew Marching Invitational in Tinley Park. At the 2025 Illinois State Marching Band Championships, Romeoville finished eighth in the Class 4A finals.
A Growing Ensemble Under Experienced Direction
This year's Marching Spartans field 135 members, up from the 125-piece roster that performed during the 2025 season, according to Patch. The band is led by Dr. DaJuan Brooks, who holds a Master of Music from Northwestern University, is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in wind conducting at the University of Michigan, and was named a national DCI Bluecoats Fellow in 2023 — a credential detailed by Bluecoats. Brooks also directs Chromium Winds, the indoor wind ensemble affiliated with The Cavaliers.
Percussion Director Adam Hill brings his own national profile to the program. He also leads the Pack Drumline, an ensemble that advanced to the finals of NBC's America's Got Talent: Fantasy League in February 2024, according to a post from the Romeoville High School Band Boosters Association. That kind of experience helps explain the percussion section's recent caption win at the Victor J. Andrew Marching Invitational.
Looking Ahead to State Finals
Romeoville's season continues through October 17, with the Illinois State Marching Band Championships serving as the ultimate destination. Those statewide finals are held each October at Illinois State University's Hancock Stadium in Normal, where top-scoring bands across six class divisions, 1A through 6A, compete in an evening program, as reported by The Pantagraph. Romeoville placed eighth in the Class 4A finals there in 2025.
The Spartan Classic and Romeoville's broader band program operate within Valley View Community Unit School District 365U, which educates roughly 14,500 students across 20 schools in Romeoville and Bolingbrook and counts more than 2,400 staff members among its ranks, making it one of Will County's largest employers. The district carries strong financial ratings of AA- from Standard & Poor's and Aa2 from Moody's and has operated on a balanced budget without an additional local tax levy since 2002, a financial footing that has helped sustain extracurricular and arts programs like the Marching Spartans. Romeoville High School itself enrolls about 1,850 students in grades 9 through 12, meaning the 135-member marching band represents roughly 7% of the student body. More information on Saturday's event is available at the band's website, romeovillehsband.wordpress.com.
