LOCAL BANDS INVITED TO PLAY, AND COMPETE, AT THE 2006 DELAWARE STATE FAIR

HARRINGTON, DE - March 21, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dated material not to run after April 30, 2006

Two years ago, the Delaware State Fair began a new tradition…“Home Grown N’ Hand Picked”…a free concert series offered each Friday and Saturday of the fair, featuring local bands from across Delmarva. The tradition will continue this year; however, according to Tricia Southard, public relations and marketing director for the fair, the concert series will have a competitive edge.

The program started, according to Southard, when the fair realized they already showcased local talent in areas such as livestock, produce, and fine arts and decided to feature local musicians as well. Each year, bands are invited to submit their works for evaluation, and the pre-determined “best 16” are chosen to perform. “Playing at the fair is such a great opportunity for local acts to perform before a broad audience,” says Southard, “For the bands selected to participate, they’ll have the benefit of saying they played at the Delaware State Fair as they promote themselves in local, regional, and national markets.” This year, several genres of music will be featured on the Delaware Electric Cooperative’s Free Entertainment Stage during the course of the concert series, including: July 21, Pop/Soft Rock; July 22, Oldies; July 28, Hard Rock; and July 29, Country.

According to Southard, the popularity of the concert series is still growing, and this year, the fair is partnering with MTS Broadcasting and June Jam. “Through our partnership with MTS Broadcasting’s 106.3 ‘The Heat’; 107.1 ‘The Duck’; 100.9 WAAI, ‘Delmarva’s Favorite Country Station’; and ESPN Radio AM 1240, ‘Your Home for Local Sports’, we’re able to offer a major incentive to the bands who perform. Each day, a panel of judges will evaluate each performance on a set of predetermined criteria and select a daily winner. Each of the four winners will receive, courtesy of MTS Broadcasting and Kevin Travers of Riverside Studios, a five hour recording session,” said Southard.

Shane Walker, operations manager at MTS Broadcasting stated, "Being a part of the Delaware State Fair, and especially the musical aspect, is a very exciting opportunity for MTS Broadcasting. Getting your musical foot in the door is never an easy task, so it is my hope that together, we can help pave the way for these aspiring musicians."

Matt Boller of June Jam added, “We look forward to the unique opportunity we’re all providing—helping expose all musicians to a large audience. We encourage all bands to take advantage of what the Home Grown N’ Hand Picked concert series offers—a chance to be heard by a lot of people, the chance of cutting a new CD, and maybe even gaining a few more fans.”

To be considered, bands who perform rock, oldies, and country music are invited to submit their promotional packages for consideration to Matt Boller, Attn: Home Grown N’ Hand Picked, 4008-B South DuPont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901.

For more information, e-mail info@delawarestatefair.com. For more information on the program’s various partners, please visit: http://www.junejam.com/; http://www.mtslive.com/; and http://www.riverside-studio.com/.###