The Heartland International Tattoo presented at the Sears Centre Arena

Sears Centre

The Sears Centre is an 11,000-seat multi-purpose family entertainment, cultural and sports center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a northwest suburb, 25 miles from Chicago. The arena has 43 luxury suites on two separate levels...

 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Hoffman Estates is a northwestern suburb of Chicago in Illinois. The village is located primarily in Cook County with a small section in Kane County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 49,495 and estimated to be 52,520 in 2003...

 is an exhibition of military and civilian marching bands, bagpipe bands, brass bands, Highland dancers

Scottish highland dance

The term Highland dance or Highland dancing is used today to refer to a style of athletic solo dancing which developed in the Gaelic Highlands of Scotland...

, Irish dance

Irish dance

Irish dancing or Irish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating in Ireland which can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dances can be divided further into céilí and set dancing...

rs and more. Many performers from many different countries create an unforgettable experience of raw musical and choreographed energy.

History

Created in 2006, the Heartland International Tattoo pays tribute to various United States Military. In 2006, the tribute was to the USS Arizona

USS Arizona (BB-39)

USS Arizona, a , was built for the United States Navy in the mid-1910s. Named in honor of the 48th state's recent admission into the union, the ship was the second and last of the Pennsylvania class of "super-dreadnought" battleships. Although commissioned in 1916, the ship remained stateside...

 that was lost at Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

. 2007 marked the Second Annual Heartland International Tattoo by paying tribute to the Military and Music of the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. Civil War reenactors took an active part in the Tattoo performance. The 2008 Heartland International Tattoo was canceled due to poor ticket sales, but the event returns in 2009 at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The 2009 theme was a tribute to the Men and Women of the United States and Canadian Air Command units.

Previous Performers

Performers from the 2008 Heartland International Tattoo include:

• Prairie Brass Band - Arlington Heights, IL
• Chicago Pipe Band – Chicago, IL
• 1st Battalion Chicago Highland Rifles – Chicago, IL
• Thistle & Heather Highland Dancers – Chicago, IL
• McNulty School of Irish Dance – Chicago, IL
• Boliviamanta Dance Ensemble – Chicago, IL
• U.S. Navy Band – Great Lakes, IL
• Columbia College Jazz Ensemble – Chicago, IL
• The Tebala Thunderbirds Air Squadron – Rockford, IL
• History of the American Flag Tribute – Chicago, IL
• Royal Airs Drum & Bugle Corps – Chicago, IL
• Bugle Across America – Chicago, IL
• NIU ROTC Honor Guard – DeKalb, IL
• Sycamore HS Color Guard – Sycamore, IL

Performers from the 2006 Heartland International Tattoo include:

• The United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps
  United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps
  The United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps is the drum and bugle corps of the United States Marine Corps. The D&B is now the only full time active duty drum corps in the United States Armed Forces. As one of many United States military bands, the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps...
  
  , Washington D.C.
• United States Navy Band, Great Lakes, IL
• United States Coast Guard Academy Silent Drill Team
• Prairie Brass Band, Arlington Heights, IL
• 8 Wing Canadian Trenton Pipe Band, Canada
• Chicago Highlanders Pipe Band, Chicago, IL
• Saint Andrews Bagpipe Band, Central Illinois
• Thistle & Heather Highland Dancers, Chicago, IL
• McNulty Irish Dancers, Chicago, IL
• 1st Battalion Chicago Highland Rifles, Chicago, IL
• The Marine Living Memorial Honor Guard, WI
• NIU ROTC Color Guard
• Steel Drum Band, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
• Epsilon Rho Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, NIU DeKalb, IL