LIBERTY — The sixth season of Liberty Idol is proving to be the biggest ever.
More than 3,000 have been in attendance each Saturday night since the contest started April 30, with the number reaching 4,000 on May 21. The second round of the competition begins this Saturday, and organizers only expect the crowds to increase.
Contestants are traveling from as far away as Raleigh, Charlotte and Charleston to compete, and guest celebrity judges have been on hand each week.
There is a weekly preshow concert at the main stage from 6-7 p.m., with the contest running from 7-10 p.m. The contest runs until July 2.
More than 400 people entered the contest, and 64 were selected during the preliminary auditions to compete in this year’s contest. Competition is for a minimum first place prize of $2,500, with total cash prizes projected to be $6,000.
The first round took four weeks, with guest judges including Buffalo Bills NFL player CJ Spiller, Tabithia Engle (VP of National MS Society), Lisa Rollins (WORD Talk-show host), John Homans (musician from England) and Melissa Level (Marketing Director for Ingles). Additional regional and national celebrity judges are scheduled to appear over the final seven shows.
Each week, Charter Media records the live show and then airs it on Local Carolina TV 10 on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. The show is also made available at www.localcarolina.com and then placed on Video On Demand throughout the Eastern US division. TV viewers have an opportunity to vote on their favorites this year through mobile texting. In 2010, more than 50,000 people attended Liberty Idol with a volunteer pool of more than 40 people each week offering their services to the city and the event.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is the Liberty Idol 2011 Charity of Choice. Over the past three years nearly $15,000 has been raised for local charities, and this year organizers hope to bring a much needed awareness about this debilitating disease as well as support this great organization with a cash contribution.
The event is sponsored by multiple local businesses with the City of Liberty as the title sponsor.