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Want to compete?
Official 'Childress Idol' contest rules are available by calling the winery at 236-9463 and asking for the operator.
From staff reports
Childress Vineyards will kick off festivities in preparation for the 2006 Barbecue Festival in Lexington later this month with an "American Idol" style talent competition set for Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1.
The winery is located at the crossroads of Highways 52 and 64 in Lexington.
Contestants from ages 16 and up will compete for the opportunity to perform on the Grandstand Main Stage at the Barbecue Festival, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 21, in Lexington.
The winner of the "Childress Idol" contest will be given the chance to sing the national anthem and perform a 10-minute set prior to the 104.1 WTQR-sponsored "Guitar Pull" featuring major national talent. Additionally, the winner will receive a $250 cash prize and a trophy from Hayes Jewelers of Lexington. BB&T will give "Childress Idol" T-shirts to the first 50 contestants.
Talent for the "Childress Idol" competition should plan to arrive at the winery at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. Numbers will be assigned for the order of performance. Each contestant should prepare for a 60-second audition, a cappella, for the first round of the competition, which will begin at 1 p.m. and continue until 4 p.m.
The top 10 contestants will advance to the third round of competition to be held at the winery on Sunday, Oct. 1, beginning at 1 p.m. Contestants advancing to this round of the contest will need to bring music in CD form and be prepared to perform a three- to four-minute piece for the judges. The top three finalists will be selected on the same day. Final round performances of three to four minutes each will start at 3:30 p.m. and the winner will be crowned at 5 p.m.
Chocolate Myers, the famed "gas can man" for the late Dale Earnhardt, will emcee the final round of competition on Sunday. Stephanie Saintsing Gryder, executive director of the Barbecue Festival, will be among the judges.
"We are excited to add 'Childress Idol' to the list of official festival events happening in October," said Saintsing Gryder. "There are so many talented singers in our area ... it is going to be a lot of fun hearing all of the contestants and selecting a winner."
The "Childress Idol" contest is the culmination of the winery's annual Music in the Vineyards series. It will cap a weekend of fun at the winery that begins on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. with a Harvest Party celebrating the grape-picking time with wine, food, grape stomping, hayrides and live music with the Part Time Party Time Band. Admission to the Harvest Party and "Childress Idol" contest is free.
Wine and food will be available for purchase all weekend and The Bistro at Childress Vineyards will serve an Italian antipasto buffet, for $12 a person, on Thursday night at the Harvest Party.
The Barbecue Festival on Oct. 21 is free to the public. For details on all the entertainment and activities, go to www.barbecuefest ival.com.
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