The Hempfield Band Booster Club and the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps will join forces to host the seventh annual Buccaneer Classic on Saturday, July 20, at 6:30 p.m. The musical competition will be held at Georgelis Law Firm Stadium, 340 Mumma Drive, Landisville.

The Buccaneer Classic will feature several different drum and bugle corps, including the Bushwackers and the Raiders from Princeton, N.J.; the Skyliners from the Southern Tier region of New York; the Fusion Core from Morris County, N.J.; the White Sabers from Rochester, N.Y.; the Caballeros from Hawthorne, N.J.; and the Buccaneers. The event will also incorporate performances from the Buccaneers Banner Brass and the Buccaneer Alumni Corps.

Competing groups will have 17 minutes to enter the field, perform their routine and exit the field. A panel of judges will score each group based on various factors, such as overall timing and the performance of its brass section and color guard.

The partnership between the Buccaneers and the Hempfield Band Booster Club began in 2018, when Bill Powers, then the Hempfield band director and a member of the Buccaneers, was looking for a location to hold an additional show after the Buccaneers' home event in Reading.

"Before 2018, there hadn't been a drum corps contest in Lancaster for many years," said Rick Thompson, co-chair of the Buccaneers. "The number of people from Hempfield who participate continues to grow, and it's added a lot of people to Buccaneer membership." Thompson noted that the event gives students a chance to experience another side of marching band, as drum corps vary in their approach to performances and the age groups of their members.

In addition to providing a new way for students to experience marching band, the Buccaneer Classic serves as a fundraiser for both the Buccaneers and the Hempfield Band Booster Club. Proceeds assist each organization with covering costs necessary to purchase equipment and continue its programs. The proceeds from the show are distributed between the Buccaneers and the Hempfield Band Booster Club; the funds given to the booster club assist the band with uniform and instrument expenses for its members.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.readingbuccaneers.org.