News Chronicle photos from the Colt Cadets June 2024 stay at STC.

The South Tama County School District will once again serve as a host for the Colt Cadets drum and bugle corps of Dubuque from Monday, June 15 through Sunday, June 21.

The Colt Cadets, an Open Class corps within Drum Corps International (DCI), will use the new middle school facilities to rehearse and prepare their 2026 summer production before beginning a competition schedule that will take them across the Midwest.

Rehearsals will be open to the public throughout the week, with spectating and listening welcomed. Members of the public are invited to bring lawn chairs or other seating

Founded in 1967, the Colt Cadets are the younger sibling organization of the Dubuque Colts Drum & Bugle Corps.

Community members are also being asked to assist during the corps’ stay in Toledo. Local volunteers are needed to help prepare, serve, and clean up meals. Two to three volunteers are needed for each meal throughout the week.

Retiring South Tama band director Mike Carnahan said the opportunity provides a chance for the community to support young performers while showcasing the hospitality of the community.

“Their early season volunteer list is short and while here could use some small-town Iowa community help,” Carnahan wrote in a Facebook post encouraging volunteers.

South Tama has become a regular stop for drum corps in the last five years. Previous groups hosted include the Colts of Dubuque in 2021, Les Stentors of Sherbrooke, Quebec, in 2023, Genesis of Austin, Texas, in 2023, and the Colt Cadets in 2024.

Those interested in volunteering during the Colt Cadets’ stay may contact Carnahan directly through social media or by phone at 515-689-6176.