LIBERTY — Hundreds turned out for the kick off of the 2011 Liberty Idol competition Saturday night in downtown Liberty.
More than a dozen performers took the stage hoping to get a chance at the more than $6,000 in cash and prizes that will be awarded in the combination karaoke/reality show contest.
Idol, a family oriented event, is free to attend.
The competition runs from now until July 2, with performances most Saturday nights in downtown Liberty. All 11 shows of the season will be filmed live and then aired on Local Carolina TV 10 on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m., then made available on Video On Demand across the Charter footprint. The television coverage was made possible by Charter and Ingles.
According to event organizers, many local and national celebrities are expected to make appearances at this year’s event. For Saturday night’s opening round, former Clemson Tigers and current Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller was a guest judge.
In its sixth year, Liberty Idol has also raised nearly $15,000 for local charities over the last three years. This year’s charity of choice is the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Hundreds of potential contestants tried out for this season’s competition, traveling from around the Southeast.