A new countywide talent contest will culminate in the Pekin Real Estate market at this summer’s Friday Night Family Fest in Pekin.

Pekin Main Street will introduce “Pekin’s Got Talent” this summer, replacing the lip sync contest.

“It will be really fun because it’s a big event and it will be a great opportunity for those people to perform,” Pekin Main Street Director Melida Heien said.

To celebrate the final and 25th year of the lip sync contest, Heien is inviting its past winners to perform in a sort of all-star tribute to the contest. She said participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, and will perform in between acts during the talent show.

Not enough people were signing up for the lip sync contest in recent years to keep it going, Heien said.

“Last year we did not get a bunch of acts,” she said. “And we got a lot of complaints from audience members that it was boring.

“I want people who liked the lip sync contest and enjoyed participating in it to have their final hurrah, but it’s time to do something different.”

Pekin’s Got Talent is inspired by the TV show “America’s Got Talent,” she said, only the panel of judges won’t be offering any harsh criticisms of the contestants.

The competition will have three phases. An open audition for all interested parties will go from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 8 at the Pekin Public Library. The field will be narrowed down to the top 20 acts following the auditions, and those acts will perform live at Pekin Main Street’s Annual Cruise-In on July 30 in downtown Pekin. The field will be narrowed down to the top 10, and those acts will compete at Friday Night Family Fest to kick off Marigold Festival Weekend on Sept. 9.

Cash prizes will be provided by event sponsor Herget Bank.

Heien said the competition is open to all ages, and there are no talent or age categories.

“We have few restrictions,” she said. “Unlike the TV show, we don’t have a big crew that can help people put up elaborate stage set-ups. We don’t want anything that’s messy.”

She said performers might range from stand-up comedy to dancing to solo or group singing and instrumentation — as long as it’s G-rated.

Contestants can pick up applications from Herget Bank, Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce, the Pekin Public Library, www.pekinmainstreet.com, or from Heien in-person at Pekin City Hall.

“I’m very excited about this, and I don’t mind taking a risk and being an instrument of change,” she said. “Change is good, and I think this is a good change.”

“We’ll do the best we can to make it fun and enjoyable for everybody.”

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