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1.    Performance will be on the infield stage.
2.    Age Division Requirements
             (Classifications refers to both solo and group)

A.    Junior Division:  all contestants must be 9- 14 years old on the date of the local contest.  They may be 15 years old when competing at the State Level the following January.
B.   Senior Division: all contestants must be between the ages of 15-21 years of age on the date of the local contest. They may be 22 years old when competing at the State level the following January.
C.  Mixed ages must compete in the division of the oldest member of the group.     
D.  Previous state level winners MAY compete again if all other qualifications are met. 
E.  Contestants must live in Illinois.      

3.  Talent Divisions  
                           Junior Division – 14 years and under by July 18, 2023       
                           Senior Division – 15 years to 21 as of July 18, 2023    
                           Future Iroquois County Fair Stars – 8 years & under. (Not eligible for State Competition)  

 

Contest Specific Rules  

Completed entries need to be received by the deadline date May 1, 2023 by the Iroquois County Fair Office – PO Box 301 - Crescent City, IL 60928.  All entries must be mailed with a postmark.  No entries will be accepted in person.  Group entries may be mailed together in one envelope. (All group forms must be received for the group to qualify) .  Entries will be accepted in the order they are received.  

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1.    All Contestants may appear in multiple acts with a maximum of 2. 
2.    All Contestants must be of amateur status.  Those who have been paid performing in your area of talent are not eligible.
3.    Accompaniment CDs are acceptable.  NO like talent is allowed (i.e. tap sound for tap dancers, background vocals for singers).  Bands or musicians must play your instrument live. No background music or recording is allowed. If you have any questions, please contact a committee member.
4.    Any act that goes over four (4) minutes of performance time will be disqualified.
5.    There is a maximum of a 3-minute setup time. 
6.    All Acts must be memorized. 
7.    All contestants are responsible for making his or her own entry including their legal name.  Alternates in group performances must also fill out a form.  Accurately completed forms must be postmarked by deadline date.  Groups may NOT include a name of a business, school, organization or other community service group. 
8.    1st place winners from another fair talent show “this season” may only participate as an exhibition. Your signature on the bottom of the entry form is a contract stating that if you are the 1st Place Winner at the Iroquois County Fair Talent Show, you will only represent Iroquois County at the IAAF State Talent Contest.
9.    All contestants must be single, never married, and a resident of Illinois or regularly enrolled in a school located in Illinois.
10.    Contestants must supply their own equipment.  Microphones, CD player, piano and plug-ins for contestants’ instruments will be provided by the fair’s hired sound personnel. 
11.    Judging is based on one hundred (100) points.  Costume-10, Audience appeal-10, Stage presence-30, Ability-50.  Decisions of the judges will be final. 
12.    Participation ribbons will be awarded to all contestants.  Trophies will be awarded to the top 3 place contestants in both competitive divisions along with prize money of $100, $50, $25. Trophies are sponsored by the Country Theatre Workshop, Cissna Park, Illinois. Stipends and entry fees donated by the Iroquois County Fair.
14.   Participants in the Future Iroquois County Fair Stars Division are only eligible for ribbons and trophies.  
15.   Entry Fee and a stipend of $75 will be provided for 1st place winners in the Junior & Senior Division for State Competition in January 2024.  If the 1st place winner does not appear at the state contest, the 2nd place winner will be eligible.
 
Extraneous Rules
1.    All contestants will need to attend auditions on Sunday, May 21, 2023.  Information will be sent upon receipt of entry form.  Iroquois County Fair Talent Show Committee reserves the right to accept or refuse any application.   If applicable, you will need to bring a CD or send mp3 music to Iroquoisfairsecretary@gmail.com prior to auditions. We are not set up to use music off of a phone or other electronic device. 
2.    Talent may be designated as Dance, Vocal, Magic, Speech, Juggling, Comedy etc. Remember this is a County Fair Competition – any act that is considered inappropriate in music, lyric or dance will be disqualified.
3.    Professional conduct is expected from each and every performer, participant, parent, and teacher. Misconduct may result in forfeiture of prizes.
4.    Auditioners will be notified by mail or email if they will be included in the show.  After auditions, contestants will be sent a complimentary gate pass and an entrance ticket for infield access. (NO replacement passes will be issued.)
5.    State level is described as the IAAF Talent Show in Springfield the following January. 
6.    To be able to represent Iroquois County at the IAAF Convention, contestants must meet the official rules of the IAAF talent contest. 
7.    Rules of the above IAAF State Talent Contest will be used as guidelines for our contest.