MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—This month, Marion will welcome back a piece of its history. On July 30, The Marion Open will bring drum and bugle corps back to Marion Harding Stadium, and Pillar Credit Union is proud to serve as the presenting sponsor of an event that means so much to this community.

A Championship With Deep Roots in Marion

For nearly three decades, Marion was synonymous with drum corps excellence. From 1968 through 1995, Marion hosted the U.S. Open Drum & Bugle Corps Championship one of the most prestigious competitions in the drum corps world. That first event, held on August 17, 1968, drew 25 corps from across the country and quickly established Marion as a landmark destination on the national drum corps circuit.

Year after year, corps that would become legends in the activity names like the Madison Scouts, Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Devils, and the hometown-adjacent Bluecoats from Canton made their way to Marion to compete. The stands at Harding Stadium filled with fans who traveled from across Ohio and the Midwest to witness the pageantry, the precision, and the sheer power of live drum corps performance.

For 27 years, Marion wasn’t just a stop on the tour – it was a destination. A place where music and community came together in a way that left an impression on everyone who experienced it.

The Long Wait Is Over

When the U.S. Open concluded its run in Marion after 1995, the city lost something that had been a summer tradition for nearly a generation. For those who grew up attending the event, it left a void the kind that only a brass line at full volume on a warm July evening can fill.

The Marion Open is a new effort to honor that legacy and bring that excitement back for a new generation. It is not just a one-time event it is the beginning of something. A commitment to restoring Marion’s place in the drum corps world, and reminding this community of the tradition it helped build.

Pillar Credit Union: Building More Than Financial Futures

Pillar Credit Union has been part of the Marion and Crawford County community for decades. And while the financial services Pillar provides are central to its mission, the credit union has always understood that a strong community is built on more than balance sheets and loan rates.

“Together, we build strong communities” is not just a tagline – it is the organizing principle behind decisions like this one. Strong communities are built through the experiences, traditions, and shared moments that bring people together across generations. The Marion Open does exactly that.

Supporting the Marion Open as its presenting sponsor is one way Pillar puts that belief into action. It is an investment not just in an event, but in the identity of this place in the idea that Marion is a community worth celebrating, and that its best traditions deserve to be carried forward.

What to Expect on July 30

If you have never seen a drum and bugle corps perform live, there is nothing quite like it. Dozens of performers brass players, percussionists, and color guard members moving across a football field in precise formations while performing complex, original music. The sound alone is something you feel as much as hear.

For those who grew up attending the U.S. Open, July 30th will be a homecoming. For families experiencing drum corps for the first time, it will be the start of something new. Either way, Marion Harding Stadium will be the place to be.

Tickets for the Marion Open are available now at pillarcu.com/marion-open-2026. Gates open July 30 at Marion Harding Stadium. Come early, bring the family, and be part of history