XRG PRESEASON EVENTS
Crossroads strives to provide accessibility to a world-class caliber of instruction. Collectively, our educational team has 70+ years of marching and teaching experience, and we will do our part to provide access to this knowledge and expertise. In part, our mission is to be at the forefront of education for the marching-arts activity in the Midwest region.
Preseason Events
Crossroads Guard has a two-fold mission.
Provide access to world-class educational opportunities.
Perform and compete at the regional and national levels.
To achieve this mission, we host three preseason events:
Experience Event 1 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2025 (Nevada, IA)
Click here for schedule
Experience Event 2 - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2025 (Glenwood, IA)
Audition Camp - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2025 (Des Moines, IA)
Experience Events are meant to be no-commitment opportunities for performers to improve their skills. Experience Events are:
Open to individuals of any age
Open to individuals with any/no prior experience
No commitment to participate in the competitive season with Crossroads
Each Event will include ~8 hours of instructional time from our Educational Team. Individuals we believe are competitive for our 2026 program will be pulled aside after the conclusion of each Experience Event to discuss options moving forward. Therefore, individuals who want to participate in the upcoming competitive ensemble should treat the Experience Events as an Audition.
Each Event requires a $50 fee for participation, which must be paid by the start of the event. This fee is non-refundable unless the event is cancelled by Crossroads prior to the start of the event. Should an individual be offered membership for the 2025 season, this fee WILL NOT BE applied towards their membership dues.
2026 Competitive Ensemble
Individuals that are competitive for the 2026 ensemble should arrive at Experience Events fully prepared with pre-released materials. Each Event will include 8 hours of instructional time. Anybody may attend Experience Events to learn, but to be eligible to march the upcoming competitive season, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Age 22 or younger as of 12:01 am April 1, 2026
Able to attend weekend rehearsals and performances throughout January, February, March, and April
Able to meet a financial obligation (Member Fee) of approximately $1600 (payable in installments over four-months time; this amount will fluctuate depending on the final number of members accepted into the competitive ensemble)
Able to attend WGI World Championships the week of April 9 - April 11, 2026
If you are a high school student, and your high school has a competitive winter guard program, we will meet with your high-school director to ensure there are no substantial conflicts.
Individuals interested in marching the upcoming competitive season must attend ONE OR BOTH Experience Events, and MUST attend the Audition Camp on October 26. If in-person attendance of any event is not possible, arrangements can be made for a virtual audition submission.