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Dates

Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Tuesday, April 7, 2026

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Performance
Locations

  • Classes 1A, 2A, and 3A (daytime): Scheman Building at the Iowa State University campus

  • Class 4A (daytime): Stephens Auditorium at the Iowa State University campus

  • Evening finals: Stephens Auditorium at the Iowa State University campus

Tickets

  • Tickets for the day competition are $10 and cover admission to all day time performances at both locations.  Tickets are for the day contest are not sold in advance. 

  • The evening finals are free for all to attend (no charge and no ticket required).

Hotel Information

Best Western Plus

2500 University Blvd. Ames, IA 50010

515.296.2500

Breakfast included

Rate cut off date: March 13, 2023

Double $109

Single $109

One Bed Suite $129

www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.16101.html?groupId=3C4UT4Q1

Courtyard by Marriott Ames
311 S 17th St, Ames, IA 50010

515.620.5910
Double $159
Rate cut off date: March 20, 2023

www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1665586950083&key=GRP&app=resvlink


Radisson Hotel Ames Conference Center at ISU
2609 University Blvd, Ames, IA 50010

515.268.8808
Double/ Single $109

One Room Suite $170
Rate cut off date: March 13, 2023
www.radissonhotelsamericas.com/en-us/
Enter Promo Code under special rates: IAJAZZ

Days Inn
229 S Duff Ave, Ames, IA 50010

515.203.3080
Breakfast included with rate
Double/ Single $99.99
Rate cut off date: March 14, 2023
Please call for rate and ask for Iowa Jazz Championships.

 

Fairfield Inn & Suites Ames
2137 Isaac Newton Dr, SE 16th St, Ames, IA 50010 515.232.4000
Breakfast included with rate
Rate $129
Rate cut off date: March 3, 2023
Please call for rate and ask for Iowa Jazz Championships

Hampton Inn & Suites Ames
2100 SE 16th St, Ames, IA 50010

515.232.5510
Breakfast included with rate
Double $130
Rate cut off date: March 14, 2023
Please call for rate and ask for Iowa Jazz Championships

TownePlace Suites Ames
1625 S Dayton PI, Ames, IA 50010 515.232.5500
Breakfast included with rate.
Rate cut off date: March 14, 2023
Please call for rate and ask for Iowa Jazz Championships Rate $129

Invitations & Eligibility

All Iowa high school jazz programs are eligible for an invitation to the Iowa Jazz Championships.  

Automatic invitations are issued to the first and second place bands in each class of the six district jazz festivals.  In districts where there are only two bands in a class, only the first place band is issued an automatic invitation.  In districts where only one band competes in a class, that band is issued an automatic invitation.  Each district is empowered with operating their own district jazz festival to determine automatic qualifiers.

 

Wild card invitations are determined by the Iowa Jazz Championships Board of Directors every March. Bands become eligible for a wild card invitation by meeting one of the three necessary criteria:

  1. Beat a band that is an automatic qualifier at an independent jazz festival in Iowa.

  2. Win an independent jazz festival in Iowa with at least two bands from Iowa in that class.

  3. Finish 3rd in a district jazz festival with at least four bands entered.

 

Only bands meeting at least one of these criteria will be considered for a wild card invitation. 

 

There are typically three wild card invitations issued per class (12 automatic qualifying bands plus 3 wild card bands for a total of 15 bands in each class).  If a class has fewer than 12 automatic qualifying bands, additional wild card invitations may be issued.  

 

There is no system of points for determining wild card invitations. The Board of Directors of the Iowa Jazz Championships evaluates all eligible bands and selects the most qualified bands based on results from all submitted jazz festivals. The Board pays especially close attention to how wild card-eligible bands placed when competing against one another and whether or not wild card-eligible bands placed behind non-automatic qualifiers or wild-card eligible bands.

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