OXFORD — Beginning this weekend, and continuing next, Oxford will be host to a portion of the annual Winter Guard International championship indoor color guard, percussion and wind events.

During the WGI World Championship, the world’s top indoor color guard, percussion and winds teams to compete for top honors.

On Friday, April 8, competition will take place at University of Dayton Arena, Wright State University Nutter Center, Cintas Center at Xavier University, and Millet Hall at Miami University.

Admission for the Friday Semi-Finals (includes A Class & Concert Finals Friday night) is $35 general admission; only sold at the door.

Percussion championship events will be held next weekend.

For a full schedule, visit wgi.org.

WGI celebrates their 39th anniversary this year. The 2016 World Championships will mark the 30th year out of 39 years of competition that the event has been hosted in Dayton.

The WGI Sport of the Arts World Championships collectively over the two weekends bring in approximately 60,000 people including performers and spectators.=

WGI Sport of the Arts is the world’s premier organization producing indoor color guard, percussion, and wind ensemble competitions. As a non-profit youth organization, WGI serves as the leading governing body of the winter guard and indoor percussion and winds activities. It is called the Sport of the Arts because it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format. WGI competitions combine the athleticism of an Olympic event with the pageantry of a Broadway stage performance.

Winter Guard is the sport of indoor color guard. Modern Color Guard is a combination of the use of flags, sabers, mock rifles, and other equipment, as well as dance and other interpretive movement. Color guards can be found in high schools, middle schools, some universities, and also some independent organizations some of which are related to drum corps.