The first SoundSport competition of the summer of 2016 will kick off this Saturday as part of the DCI Central Florida event at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida.

Two Florida-native SoundSport teams will headline the event that will also feature performances by eight of DCI’s World and Open Class corps. IMPACT Drum & Bugle Corps from Orlando and Florida Xpress from Hawthorne will take the field at 6:30 p.m. ET. Admission is covered with a ticket to the DCI Central Florida event.

This is the first year for IMPACT as a competing SoundSport team. The group’s history stretches back 20 years in the state of Florida, with experience in both Drum Corps Associates and WGI Sport of the Arts competitions.

IMPACT members are especially excited to get involved with SoundSport on their home turf.

“Our show this year is a return to our roots,” said Sayre Kulp, Florida Marching Arts, Inc. president. “It’s all about fun, familiar music that we think the audience will really enjoy. We have several soloists and small groups that we aim to showcase.”

Florida Xpress is in its second year, having performed last summer in Atlanta and as part of the SoundSport Indianapolis event held in conjunction with the DCI World Championships.

“While we are still going to travel to Atlanta and Indy, we have been really looking forward to the ‘local’ performances,” said William Clark, Florida Xpress president. “These Florida shows will give us a chance to strut our stuff in front of our local fans who may not be able to travel to the [Atlanta] Regional or DCI Finals.”

With the launch of SoundSport in 2013, more ensembles of all ages, instrumentations, locations, and budgets have been able to showcase their talents on the Drum Corps International stage.

Other upcoming SoundSport events will take place in Whitewater, Wisconsin (July 16), San Antonio (July 23), Atlanta (July 30) and at the DCI World Championship in Indianapolis on August 13 during the all-new SoundSport International Music and Food Festival.