Kane County Fair announces talent contest first-round senior division finalists
More than 37 talented young people participated in the Kane County Fair Talent Contest auditions held at St. Patrick School in St. Charles on Saturday, June 14, 2014 according to Larry Rossi, RPM Creative Music, coordinator of the Talent Contest.
Twenty-five contestants, nine acts in the junior division, and nine acts in the senior division are now set to compete in the 31st annual Kane County Fair Talent Contest to be held at 7 p.m. Monday, July 14, in the Prairie Events Center at the Kane County Fairgrounds located at Randall Road and Route 64 in St. Charles.
Admission is free to all who wish to attend. Bring the whole family! Enter at Gate 2 on Miller Road behind the fairgrounds. Free parking is available just west of Gate 2. The Talent Contest will be held in the air-conditioned Prairie Events Center building on the south side of the fairgrounds.
The first-place finalists of the Kane County Fair Talent Contest this year move on to automatically represent Kane County on Jan. 18, 2015, at the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs Official Talent Contest State of Illinois competition in Springfield, Illinois.
"We were very pleased with the large number of audition participants this year," said Rossi. "Our judges were highly impressed with the quality and caliber of talent in our community." said Rossi.
First round participants in the Senior Division (ages 15 to 21) moving on to the 2014 Kane County Fair Talent Contest are:
• Pianists Lucy Avila and Amanda Maher, both of Batavia, duet, song, "C.S. Theme"
• Dancer Galina Knorst of St. Charles with the song- "It Ends Tonight"
• Vocalist San Sandberg of Geneva with the song "Blown Away"
• Guitarist and vocalist Sean Seales of St. Charles with the song "Imagine"
• Vocalist Matt Skirmont of Batavia with the song "Ring of Fire"
• Guitarist Eric Bajorek of Gilberts with the song "Star Spangled Banner"
• Vocalist Erin Newman of St. Charles with the song "Maybe this Time"
• Pianist and vocalist Alexis Nguyen of Pingree Grove with the song "New Day"
• Flutist Julia LeKander of Batavia with the song "Flight of the Bumble Bee"
Contestants will be judged on technique, stage presentation, audience appeal, and appearance. Cash prizes will be awarded in each division: first place, $200; second place, $125; and third place, $75. All other finalists will receive $20 per act.
Everyone is encouraged to stop by and enjoy the talent contest winners' performances at 3 p.m. during the Kane County Fair on Saturday, July 19, on the main stage.
The annual contest is open to any person or group (school/organization) residing in Kane County. For more information and how to enter future contests, call (847) 622-9935 or email KaneCoTalent@aol.com.