Coming Home: The Bluecoats returning to Stark County to train in Alliance for 2023 season

ALLIANCE − The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps is returning to Stark County to get ready for its season.

After several years at Indiana Wesleyan University, the 2016 world champions will come home to train six weeks at the University of Mount Union.

About 250 members of the Canton-based competitive drum and bugle corps, including staff, will stay at Mount Union from May 25 through July 4. Most of the group is from outside the area.

With the group's arrival comes opportunity for the local economy.

"They bring a lot of people who come to just watch their practices," said Rick Baxter, president of the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce. "That's going to bring people into town which should benefit some of our restaurants."

Already, local and university officials have been encouraging restaurants, stores and other attractions to draw the Bluecoats in with specials and discounts.

"We want business owners to send as big of a warm welcome as they can," Baxter said.

Mount Union becomes Bluecoats central

The Bluecoats were searching for a new location to train and Mount Union answered their call.

Bluecoats Chief Executive Officer Mike Scott said his group, whose members have an average age of 20, will turn the university campus into "like a small city." They will be staying in three residential halls and four townhouses, training outside and inside campus facilities, and temporarily moving their offices there.

Their 21-performance national tour runs July 5 to Aug. 12, with a stop Aug. 7 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

Neighboring residents should expect to hear the group perform regularly, sometimes into the evening hours. Melissa Gardner, vice president of marketing at Mount Union, said there are plans to invite residents to a special event with the Bluecoats.

"We are reaching out to neighbors to let them know what is happening," said Pat Heddlestone, vice president of business affairs at Mount Union.

In addition to the practices, the Bluecoats also will host an overnight camp, The Blue Way Summer Arts Camp, at Mount Union for students ages 14-21. The camp, which has fees for participants, will be June 30 and July 1. Registration is required.

The university also will host an Opening Night Community Celebration at Kehres Stadium, with the Bluecoats and several other groups, including youths from the camp, performing. Tickets are $25. That event should be another opportunity for restaurants, hotels and other businesses to gain patrons, Scott said.

Mount Union will be ready for the Bluecoats.

"These folks are going to be here for six weeks and they'll have Mondays off from practice," Heddlestone said. "We expect them to be in the community, having meals, getting away from the day-to-day grind."

Bluecoats, Mount Union hope this camp becomes a long-term deal

Mount Union officials believe the Bluecoats will increase visibility for the university and the Carnation City, along with providing another connection with prospective students.

"It allows us to utilize facilities over the summer," Gardner said. "It's a great tie-in with our visual and performing arts programs on campus and allows us to make some connections with prospective students and this well-known organization."

Another benefit, Heddlestone said, is that the Bluecoats plan to eat meals on campus when they practice, providing steady work for employees of the university's food service provider, AVI Fresh, at least through the six-week camp. Past summer months were "hit or miss" for these workers, he said.

"They're going to be serving three meals a day," Heddlestone said.

All of these potential benefits are reasons the Bluecoats and Mount Union hope this year's trial run moves to a long-term relationship.

"It is our desire to make this our new home," said the Bluecoats' Scott.

Heddlestone said they went with a one-year contract this summer to see how the Bluecoats mesh with other summer camps on campus.

"If it all goes well and they're happy and we're happy, then we'd like to see them stay (long-term)," he said.

Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @bduerREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: The Bluecoats are training for six weeks at Mount Union in Alliance