WGI Palm Desert - Palm Desert H.S.
Buchanan Varsity Guard & JV Guard

Palm Desert H.S. • Palm Desert, CA
Friday-Sunday, March 20-22, 2026

LAST UPDATE: 2/20/26 • 1:00pm

General Trip Details

Emergency Contact: John Lack, 509-389-0467 • Taylor Tucker, (Emergencies Only).
Student Transportation: Provided to and from event via CUSD Passenger Vans
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Palm Desert - Millennium, 74777 Technology Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211 • (760) 284-1000
Meals Provided/$ for Meals Needed:

  • Provided: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Saturday, Breakfast & Lunch Sunday

  • Students should bring $ for dinner Friday & Sunday ($25-$30).

Competition Details 

Competition Site: Palm Desert High School, 74910 Aztec Road, Palm Desert, CA (Map Below)

Competition Begins: 10:00am on Saturday Prelims & Regional A Finals (JV) • 9:00am on Sunday Finals

Tickets:

  • Saturday Only ‐ $23.00

  • Sunday Only ‐ $26.00

  • Saturday & Sunday ‐ $49.00.

  • Ticket sales will be available on site only. All seats are General Admission. Cash or Credit Cards Accepted.

Buchanan JV Prelims Performance (Saturday): 10:07am

Buchanan JV Finals Performance (Saturday):

  • TBD based on prelims placement.

  • All prelims groups perform in finals (BHS JV will perform in finals).

  • Scholastic Regional A Finals: 5:25pm-5:52pm

Buchanan Varsity Prelims Performance (Saturday): 1:27pm

Buchanan Varsity Finals Performance (Sunday):

  • Tentative based on prelims placement.

  • One-half of the 22 Scholastic A prelims groups make finals.

  • Scholastic A Finals: 9:00am-10:28am

Spectator Parking: $5 • Cash or Credit Cards Accepted

Concessions: Available on site.

Important Reminders

  • NO VIDEO RECORDING

    • WGI strictly prohibits video recording at any WGI event.

    • No auxiliary recording accessories are allowed in the arena that inhibit the view of spectators in a seating area (boom mics, tripods, shoulder mounts, lighting, etc..) use of these items may result in dismissal from the venue.

  • Regarding Photography

    • As safety is paramount to all performers, any type of flash photography is strictly prohibited at all WGI events.

    • Family, friends, and fans may only take photos for personal use, and the images may not be publicly sold without explicit permission from Winter Guard International.

Packing List

  • Coming Soon!

  • Students should pack additional healthy snacks for the trip. 


ItineraryFriday, March 20, 2026

8:00am Bring luggage to Room 451 for bag check.
8:30am Load Vans & Box Truck
9:15am Depart for Southern California
11:30am Lunch Stop (Laval Rd. West)
12:30pm Continue to Palm Desert
4:00pm Arrive at hotel. Check in.
5:30pm Depart for Dinner
6:00pm Guard Dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory
8:00pm Depart for Hotel
9:30pm Room Check
10:30pm Lights Out

ItinerarySaturday, March 21, 2026

6:30am Wake Up Call/Begin getting ready for the show
7:00am~7:30am Breakfast at hotel (provided). Everyone eats.
8:10am Meet in the Lobby
8:15am Load Vans/Depart for Show
8:30am Arrive at Show Site. Unload Box Truck

JV Schedule

8:50am Walk to Warm Up
9:00am Pre-Warm Up
9:40am Body Warm Up
9:47am Transit
9:48am Equipment Warm Up
9:55am Transit
10:00am Ready
10:07am Buchanan JV Performance
10:14am Fold floor & take everything back to the staging area
11:30am Lunch (Provided)
12:10pm Free time for souvenirs & watching shows. Must be in groups of three!
1:19pm Meet at performer entrance to help with props
1:27pm Watch Buchanan Varsity Preliminary Performance
1:35pm Help fold floor & take everything back to the truck to load

Varsity Schedule

8:50am Free time for souvenirs/getting ready
10:07am Watch Buchanan JV Preliminary Performance
10:14am Help fold floor & take everything back to the staging area
11:30am Lunch (Provided)
12:20pm Pre-Warm Up
12:57pm Body Warm Up
1:05pm Transit
1:06pm Equipment Warm Up
1:14pm Transit
1:19pm Ready
1:27pm Buchanan Varsity Performance
1:35pm Fold Floor & take everything back to the truck to load

Everyone

2:05pm Load box truck & vans. Depart for hotel.
2:20pm Arrive at the hotel. Free time.
3:55pm Meet in the Lobby
4:00pm Depart for Show (JV ready to perform)
4:15pm Arrive at Palm Desert HS

JV Schedule

4:49pm Earliest possible finals warm-up time for JV
5:16pm-5:53pm Scholastic Regional A Finals

Everyone

~5:53pm Dinner after JV performs in Regional A Finals.

6:20pm Watch Scholastic & Independent World Prelims

  • Scholastic World

    • 6:25pm Chino Hills HS

    • 6:35pm El Dorado HS

    • 6:45pm Palm Desert HS

    • 6:55pm Ayala HS

    • 7:05pm Arcadia HS

  • Independent World

    • 7:30pm Vox Artium

    • 7:40pm Icon Winter Guard

    • 7:50pm Oasis

    • 8:00pm Malachi

    • 8:10pm FeniX Independent

    • 8:20pm Fantasia

    • 8:30pm In Motion Performance Ensemble

8:45pm Load Vans/Depart for hotel
9:00pm Arrive at Hotel
9:30pm Room Check
10:30pm Lights Out

Itinerary - Sunday, March 22, 2026

  • If we make finals, wake up/breakfast/hotel departure TBD based on finals performance time.

  • We will depart after Scholastic A Finals, whether we perform or not.

  • If we don’t make finals, we will attend Scholastic A Finals

8:30am Earliest possible Scholastic A Warm Up
9:00am Scholastic A Finals Begins
10:28am Scholastic A Finals Ends
11:00am Load Vans & Box Truck
11:15am Depart for Fresno
12:15pm Lunch Stop (I-10 Exit 83; Yacaipa Blvd).
1:15pm Depart Lunch
3:45pm Restroom Stop (Laval Rd East)
4:00pm Depart for Clovis
6:15pm Arrive at Buchanan

Weather

PALM DESERT WEATHER

Maps