The Mountain Youth Talent Contest returns to the Main Street Stage on Saturday, April 28 at 9:30am. The Greening Up The Mountains contest is the first in the Talent Contest series, which culminates with an overall winner performing the Mountain Heritage Day Festival in September.
The Mountain Youth Contest aims to discover and develop talented youth in the Appalachian Heritage Arts. The Contest provides an opportunity for young people to perform on stage before an audience. The contest are produced by Jackson County 4-H and are held at the Greening Up The Mountains Festival in Sylva, the Strawberry Jam Festival in Bryson City, and the Franklin Area Folk Festival in Franklin each year.
Entry forms are now available for all of the Mountain Youth Talent Contests for 2018. The first Contest is at Greening Up the Mountains Festival in Sylva, NC on April 28. The entry deadline is April 18. Go to jackson4-h.blogspot.com to find the entry forms.
Participants in these contests must exhibit a talent that will reflect Appalachian heritage and adhere to the Qualifications and Rules set up by the organizers of the talent contest and the festival organizers. Categories of the contest include:
Poetry/Storytelling (writings about heritage, items of historical significance, old timey ways)
Vocal Performance – Individual or Group (old timey songs, old gospel songs, bluegrass, heritage tunes)
Instrumentalists – Individual or Group (feature instruments such as banjo, fiddle, guitar, dulcimer, mandolin playing old timey songs, old gospel songs, bluegrass, heritage tunes)
Dance – Individual or Group (Clogging, Square Dance, Irish Folk Dance, Native American Dance)
Certificates and 4-H ribbons are awarded to all contest participants. Best of Show 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places will be awarded. First and Second Place Best of Show winners will participate in the final contest of the season on the Heritage Stage at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day on Saturday, September 29, 2018.
To enter, complete an on-line entry form. Information, Guidelines and Entry Forms are available at the Jackson County 4-H blog: jackson4-h.blogspot.com.
Info: Kerri Rayburn, 4-H Administrative Assistant, 828-586-4009 or kerri_rayburn@ncsu.edu or Heather Gordon, Jackson County 4-H at 828-586-4009 or heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.
– Greening Up the Mountains
