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General Rules

1. All State Fair contestants must be winners from preliminaries sanctioned in 2008.
   

2. All contestants must be at least 13 years of age and not more than 21 years of age as of August 1, 2008. This includes anyone assuming visual importance except piano accompanists.
   

3. This contest is not open to professionals. Professional is defined as anyone who is a union member, has a professional manager, booking agent or whose principal and supporting income is derived from performing.
   

4. Entries will be accepted in the following solo and group categories:
   Vocal
   Instrumental
   Variety
   Dance
   Acrobatics/Gymnastics
   

5. Baton twirlers or similar acts using batons or machetes will not be accepted. No fire, smoke, or smoke effect will be allowed on the State Fair stage.
   

6. For contestants entered in any vocal category, accompaniment tracks with any background vocals are strictly prohibited. This includes recorded live and/or synthetically produced voices.
   

7. There must be no taps or tap effects on a taped recording used by a dancer.
   

8. In instrumental solo, the only accompaniment allowed is a live or taped acoustical piano. Special exception requests must be filed in writing prior to August 1, 2008. In piano solo, no accompaniment is allowed. In the use of electronic keyboard, the contestant must create all sound live on stage.
   

9. A contestant may enter only once in any one category at the Kentucky State Fair and may enter a total of two categories.
   

10. If a performer has won an invitation to the State Fair from a preliminary, he/she may not perform the same act or in the same category in another preliminary.
    

11. If a performer wins in two categories in the State Fair semi-finals, he/she must choose one of the two categories for his/her final performance.
    

12. Any act may drop a member as listed on the entry form, but MAY NOT ADD OR REPLACE any member listed on the form. An individual cannot be part of an act at the State Fair if they did not perform in the act at the preliminary AND semi-final.
    

13. ANY ACT RUNNING MORE THAN 4 MINUTES WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. An official timekeeper will be present at the State Fair. Timing begins with first word or note and ends with last word or note.
    

14. All contestants will use only the lighting system as provided by the Fair.
    

15. All contestants, excluding bands, will use only the sound system and sound operator as provided by the Kentucky State Fair. Bands may use their own amps.
    

16. No teachers, parents or friends will be allowed on the stage during the Kentucky State Fair.
    

17. Only one person other than those visible on the stage will be allowed backstage per act. This includes all parents, teachers and friends.
    

18. No member of a Grand Award winning act may compete again in the same category.
    

19. Contestants may make changes in their act (song, music, choreography) prior to the Kentucky State Fair as long as those changes DO NOT result in a change of categories.
    

20. Contestants may not change their act between the semi-finals and finals competition at the Kentucky State Fair.
    

21. The decision of the judges is final.
    

22. The contestant will be disqualified from the competition and forfeit any ribbons and prize money won up to that time for:
    A. Any discourtesy to a judge or official of the Fair.
    B. Any contestant, parent, teacher or friend who attempts to communicate with the judges before, during or after their adjudications.
    

23. All contestants, parents, teachers and friends are expected to abide by all rules and regulations of the Kentucky State Fair.
    

24. All questions regarding entries, category, rules or any other issues, shall be determined by the Coca-Cola Talent Classic staff. Their decision is final.
    

25. The Kentucky State Fair staff will view and suggest a category for acts by appointment prior to August 1, 2008.
    

Preliminary Contest Rules

1. All preliminary contests must be held on or before August 1, 2008 to be eligible for competition in the 2008 Kentucky State Fair. All paperwork and entry forms must be received at the Kentucky State Fair office by August 6, 2008 (date subject to change).
   

2. All preliminary contests must be sanctioned each year by the Kentucky State Fair. Only talent competitions will be sanctioned, specifically excluding recitals and talent divisions of beauty contests.
   

3. Any group wishing to produce a preliminary contest must request and COMPLETELY fill out the REQUEST FOR SANCTION FORM INFORMATION SHEET and all other forms and return them to the Kentucky State Fair at least 2 weeks before their contest and before sanction can be granted. No sanctions will be granted to single person productions.
   

4. No producer/chairperson may advertise a contest until a written OFFICIAL SANCTION LETTER is received from the Kentucky State Fair.
   

5. Each producer/chairperson is responsible for getting the Entry Forms of the top seven winning acts of their preliminary to the State Fair office as set forth in Agreement. DO NOT HAVE THE CONTESTANTS MAIL THESE TO THE FAIR.
   

6. Each sanctioned preliminary will name three overall winners. Fourth and fifth place winners should be provided as alternatives. There shall be no ties.
   

7. The preliminary producer/chairperson must mark placement on the top five winners entry forms and mail them to the Kentucky State Fair within three working days of preliminary contest date.
   

8. All acts must have been judged in preliminary competition and special entertainment at the preliminary cannot be considered for State Fair competition.
   

9. The top three winners of sanctioned preliminaries will be guaranteed an invitation to compete in the Coca-Cola Talent Classic (providing eligibility).
   

10. If any of the top three winners of a sanctioned preliminary are ineligible to enter the Coca-Cola Talent Classic, the Kentucky State Fair agrees to take the fourth place winner (providing eligibility) as an official Fair entry.
    

11. If any of the preliminary contest's top three placing winners was a finalist at the Coca-Cola Talent Classic last year, the Fair agrees to take the fourth and/or fifth place winners (providing eligibility) as additional official Fair entries.
    

12. All contestants must be judged and a minimum of two judges must be present.
    

13. All judges must be 22 years of age or older and will not include any State Fair representative nor shall a State Fair representative be present during deliberation.
    

14. A State Fair representative, if present, may be consulted for rule clarification only.
    

15. THERE WILL BE ABSOLUTELY NO DISCUSSION OF THE CONTEST BETWEEN JUDGES AND CONTESTANTS, TEACHERS, OR PARENTS BEFORE OR DURING THE PRELIMINARY.
    

16. No son, daughter, grandchild, step-child or any other relative of any preliminary contest worker may enter the contest in which the relative works.
    

17. Chairmen must read all rules and give brochures to all contestants noting rules #6,  #10, #13 and variety definition.
    

18. Each chairman or preliminary worker must send a video tape of their contestants performance to the State Fair prior to August 1, 2008.
    

Penalties

1. Any chairman or preliminary worker violating any printed rule will result in the Kentucky State Fair revoking sanction and/or disqualification of acts.
   

2. Failure to submit entry forms or any other required paper work by designated date will cause denial of future sanction.
   

Liability

1. The Kentucky State Fair Board, its agents, servants and employees in no way assume liability for any damages incurred in the production of any preliminary.
   

2. Any hold harmless forms used by a preliminary must have prior written permission of the Kentucky State Fair.
   

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For further information, contact us at:

Talent Classic
P.O. Box 37130
Louisville, KY 40233
Fax: (502) 367-5259
E-Mail: sponsorship@ksfb.ky.gov