Youth Contestants sought for Talent Contest at Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s Railfest

To showcase the musical and vocal talents of our children, 4-H in association with Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will again produce a Youth Talent Contest at the GSMR Railfesst, September 17, 2011. The contest will run from 10:45 until 12 noon, and will give opportunity to youth to share their talents up to the age of 18. Participants in this contest must exhibit a talent that will reflect heritage and old Appalachian ways of our region and adhere to the contest Qualifications and Rules. Deadline for Applications— September 1, 2011.
This competition will be held on the main stage and will be part of the “heritage” entertainment provided during the festival. 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 from the turn of the century)
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)

Trophies are offered for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. First Place Best of Show winner will have the opportunity of playing on the Heritage Stage at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day on Saturday, September 24th, 2011.


To register, download an application from www.spirirofappalachia.org, fill out the application form by September 1 and mail to Jackson County 4-H, 538 Scotts Creek Road, Sutie 205, Sylva, NC 28779, or send to kerri_rayburn@ncsu.edu, or fax to 828-586-5009. For more information or request an application form by mail, contact Heather Gordon, Jackson County 4-H at 828-586-4009 or heather_gordon@ncsu.edu.