INFORMATION FOR BILL RILEY STATE FAIR
TALENT  COMPETITION RULES

BILL RILEY’S IOWA STATE FAIR TALENT SEARCH

RULES FOR CONTESTANTS

1. Show is open to residents of the state of Iowa only.  Acts must appear in a locally sponsored show somewhere in the state of Iowa and WIN to be eligible to compete at the Iowa State Fair.  Judges’ decisions are final.

2. Sprouts:  2 through 12 years.   Seniors:  13 through 21 years

A person’s age for the Iowa State Fair competition is determined at the time they win a local show.  A 12-year-old (or 21-year-old) could turn 13 (or 22) by State Fair and still be eligible in the sprout (or senior) division, as they met age requirements at the time of qualification.

3. When one member of an act is 12 or under, that act must appear in the sprout category.  All 13 or 14-year-olds may appear with younger person in an act, but no one age 15 or older will appear in the sprout category and no one 12 or under will appear in the senior division.

4. Each act will run no more than three minutes.  Acts running longer than three minutes may be disqualified.  Set up time is not included, but is limited to one minute.

5. No more than five persons are allowed in an act.  Piano accompanist is NOT included in an act and may be any age.  No more than three accompanists permitted per act.  Drums, amps, etc. are discouraged due to the one minute set-up time.  No combos, rock bands or similar musical group permitted.

6. Groups must form a straight line on stage for introductions.  Acts may not dance onto or off the stage.  After introductions, you may take any position you wish to begin your performance.

7. Vocalists may not sing with a pre-recorded tape or any type of pre-recorded electronic musical accompaniment.  This includes pre-recorded accompaniment within an instrument.   (for example, keyboards with added rhythms or orchestration.)  Pantomime, lip sync, and karaoke are also not allowed with a pre-recorded accompaniment of any kind.  Cassette tapes or CDs may be used as accompaniment for dance acts, baton, etc.  Pure “mime” is accepted.

8. Contestants may only appear once in any given show.  They may not perform “solo” and then return in the same show in a duet or trio.  Contestants are allowed to perform in different acts in different shows, but they may only qualify for the State Fair Show with one act.

9. Professionals are NOT permitted to compete.  This includes Union musicians and anyone whose principle source of income is from their talent.  Compensation for performing at weddings, etc., does not constitute principle source of income.

10. Semi-finalists from last year’s Iowa State Fair Talent Search are invited back.  You do not have to re-qualify for next year’s show, but are encouraged to compete at local shows.  Because you are pre-qualified for the upcoming State Fair competition, you must inform the master of ceremonies so that the act that has not qualified moves on to the State Fair competition.  Remember you are entitled to the first place prize money.  You will return to the State Fair the following year at the age of when you first qualified.

11. Senior Finalists need to sit out one year from the State Fair but will need to re-qualify when returning after the one-year absence.  They may participate in local shows for experience.  Sprout Finalists must sit out one year from the State Fair, but will need to re-qualify when returning after the one-year absence.  The only exception to the one-year absence will be for those champion sprouts who qualify for the finals at the age of 12.  They will be permitted to compete the next year in the senior division; they must re-qualify for the senior division before competing at the State Fair.

12. You will need name, complete address, birth date, age, social security number, phone number (include are code), and type of talent.  Multiple acts need a member to act as a contact person with all information going through them  Additional members of the act need only birth date, age, and town.