The Sound of Geneseo performed on one of the biggest stages in high school marching band Saturday, competing in the Bands of America Iowa Regional Championship at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls.

Twenty-four ensembles from seven states took the field, with prelims starting at 9 a.m. and finals at 7:30 p.m. The Geneseo High School marching band brought its 2026 show, "Tis the Season" — a holiday-themed production complete with Christmas tree props, red-and-green uniforms, and a color guard in emerald dresses with gold trim.

Saturday's scoreboard: a 63.75 in prelims earned a Division II rating — fourth in Class A, one spot off the class podium, and 20th overall among the 24 bands. Twelve bands advanced to the evening finals; Geneseo wasn't among them. Rosemount (Minn.) took the regional title with an 83.0 and swept the caption awards. Small consolation for local bragging rights: Geneseo finished ahead of both Muscatine (21st) and Rock Island (22nd).

But that's the nature of Bands of America: the field includes powerhouse programs from across the Midwest, and a performance slot in the UNI Dome puts a band in rare company. Directed by John Versluis, they measured themselves against some of the best in the country — and came home with the experience.