CONNEAUT — Local songbirds will have a chance to strut their stuff at Conneaut’s Fourth of July Festival tonight at Lakeview Park.
The popular Conneaut Idol kicks off a three-night contest on the festival stage. The event is sponsored by Conneaut’s Dairy Queen restaurant.
Eight people are signed up to compete for prizes over three nights, said Tom Udell, festival coordinator. The finals will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, the festival’s finale.
The contest is patterned after the hit television show. Contestants sing tunes for a panel of three judges, who say yea or nay to their efforts. The field will be whittled down tonight and Saturday, leading to Sunday’s finals.
The event is popular and helps attract big crowds to the festival, Udell said.
Rain dampened the festival grounds Thursday morning, but weather forecasts are favorable for the rest of the weekend, Udell said.
“Things are clearing up,” he said.
Other highlights include a parade from Jackson Street to the festival grounds that begins at 4 p.m. Saturday, and the city’s fireworks display at the lakefront at 10:30 p.m. Sunday. Some 11th-hour donations have enabled Udell’s committee to purchase $10,000 worth of fireworks.
“The citizens have come through again, just as I knew they would,” Udell said.
The festival midway is open 3 to 11 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday. The schedule includes:
TODAY
• 7 p.m. — Opening round of the Dairy Queen Conneaut Idol
• 8 p.m. — Music by Winslow Band
SATURDAY
• 4 p.m. — Parade from Jackson Street to the festival midway
• 7 p.m. — Second round of Conneaut Idol
• 8 p.m. — Music by The Kingpins
SUNDAY
• 7 p.m. — Music by Witz End
• 8 p.m. — Finals of Conneaut Idol
• 9 p.m. — Witz End
• 10:30 p.m. — Fireworks at the lakefront
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