Syracuse,
NY – June 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / With just a couple days left
to go in the Great New York State Fair’s
competition to find 12 singers for the daily National Anthem, entries are
coming in from all over New York State and from all kinds of performers.
The Fair’s “Star Spangled Challenge”
is a competition to select 12 New York singers or musicians to perform
“The Star Spangled Banner” at least twice during each day of the 2016 Fair.
“We’re getting all kinds
of entries from all areas of the state, but we want even more as this last
week for entering the contest begins. Even if you entered last year, you
can enter again this year. Grab your cell phone and give it a shot. It’s
a fun competition and who knows – you might wind up a winner,” said Troy
Waffner, Acting Fair Director.
|
|
Entries so far cover a wide
range of performers and musical styles. Most are solo singers, but Larry
from Staten Island performs the anthem on his saxophone, Chuck and Betsy
from Fulton sing in harmony as a duo, and the more than 60 members of the
Liverpool Community Chorus put the power of many voices behind the song.
Many show themselves singing at public gatherings, such as Syracuse University
basketball games, a minor league baseball game, and Oswego Speedway.
“Hi! My name is Ailanees,”
begins the video from a contestant from suburban Syracuse who has a big,
red ribbon in her hair. “I am 8 years old and I am going to sing the ‘Star
Spangled Banner.’” Another competitor is just 6 years old. A woman singing
the anthem to open a roller derby match uses her sports alias, “Darth Vada.”
Alec, of East Greenbush, sings to open graduation at The College of Saint
Rose. Other entries come from Blossvale, North Tonawanda, Ogdensburg, and
Tuckahoe.
Competition submissions can
be made through June 8, 2016 at bit.ly/StarSpangled2016.
Competitors should create and submit short videos that show them performing
“The Star Spangled Banner.” A panel of judges will narrow the entries to
20 finalists. Public voting then begins on a special page on the Fair’s
Facebook site, and the 12 competitors with the highest vote totals will
be selected to sing the anthem on one of the Fair’s 12 days.
To enter the challenge, contestants
should create videos no longer than three minutes of themselves performing
the first verse of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Performers can sing alone
or in groups, and instrumental-only versions are allowed. There are two
ways to enter the competition:
Entries must be uploaded or
emailed by midnight, June 8, 2016. All entries, however they are submitted,
must include the performer’s name, address and phone number. Emailed entries
will be added to the contest site by Fair staff by the next business day.
Four judges will select 20 finalists.
Public voting on the 20 finalists
begins June 14 and runs through midnight, July 3. The 12 contestants with
the most votes will be chosen to sing the anthem on the Chevy Court stage
at 9:58 a.m. and again at approximately 1 p.m. in the Toyota Coliseum on
their performance day, which will be assigned at a later date. People are
limited to one vote per person and are encouraged to share the competition
with their Facebook friends to help their chosen candidate.
Winners will be announced
on July 5. They will be notified of the date of their performance prior
to the opening of the Fair. Each winner will receive four admission tickets,
a parking pass and a $40 voucher good for purchases at the Fair’s food
stands. They will also receive one night’s stay at one of the Fair’s hotel
partners.
About the Great New York
State Fair
The New
York State Fair, operated by the New
York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs from August
25 to September 5, 2016. The Fair’s mission, reflected in its theme, “Summer’s
Best In Show!,” is to showcase the best of New York agriculture while providing
top-quality entertainment.
In addition to the annual
New York State Fair, the Fairgrounds host dozens of agricultural events
throughout the year, including some of the Northeast’s most prestigious
horse and livestock shows.
The home of the Great New
York State Fair is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates
all year. A year-round schedule
of events is available on the Fair’s
website. Find The Great New York State Fair on Facebook,
follow @NYSFair on Twitter, and
enjoy photos from the Fair at Flickr.com/photos/nysfair.
Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York
State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.
Media Contacts:
Jola
Szubielski
Public Information Officer
NYS Department of Agriculture
& Markets
518-457-0752
Dave
Bullard
Public Relations
New York State Fair
315-487-7711 x 1377 |