FARMINGTON — Farmington’s Got Talent kicked off the Summer Fest in downtown Farmington Friday night, featuring 22 acts, ranging in age from 4 to over 40.
The participants seemed to dazzle the crowd in Meetinghouse Park with their voices, talent and charm.
“It’s super fun and brings people together,” Karen Gilman of New Hampshire said as she watched family members appear onstage.
Gilman’s relatives, the Bendo Family from Albania, were named the most original act. About 40 family members are here for Cousins Week and are staying in Mt. Vernon, she said. The family includes 32 grandchildren, several of whom performed.
Two young sisters, Lizzie and Bella Hazard, were named overall winners of the talent contest for their singing.
Other winners included Evie Hajek, 4, in the age 0-6 category. She brought smiles to many audience faces with her rendition of “The Alphabet Song.”
Taylor Lancaster, 11, won in the age 7-12 category with an original song which she wrote for the event, and Autumn Conklin, 17, of Wilton won the 13-17 category.
This is the second year of Farmington’s Got Talent, said Sue Jones, master of ceremonies. The number of acts and people who came out to support the talent was triple that of last year, she said.
Selecting winners was a difficult task, judges Deelight Zitzelberger, Pat Reynolds and Gloria McGraw agreed.
Summer Fest organizers Susun Terese, Andy Buckland and Sue Jones entertained with a pirate song while the judges tallied scores.
A pirate and mermaid-themed children’s parade begins at 11 a.m. Saturday on Broadway on the second day of “Old Tyme Fun” in downtown Farmington.
Summer Fest features four separate music stations and impromptu busking on the streets and hosts 17 different music groups with more than 100 musicians taking part in the festivities, Terese had said previously.
The “old tyme fun” begins Saturday with the opening of the Farmers Market at 9 a.m. Activities, food and store sales will continue throughout the day.
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The Bendo Family from Albania was chosen as the most original act at Farmington’s Got Talent at the Meetinghouse Park in Farmington on Friday night. The talent show and a concert featuring Seagrass kicked off Farmington’s two-day Summer Fest. The performers are among 40 family members who are visiting in Mt. Vernon for the week. From left are Basili, Mia, Evie and Xenia Bendo, who sang at the event.
Overall winners of Farmington’s Got Talent at the Meetinghouse Park in Farmington on Friday night were sisters Lizzie and Bella Hazard. They had just received their prize from emcee Sue Jones, pictured at microphone. Summer Fest activities continue Saturday with music, a children’s parade and a Punch and Judy show.
Taylor Lancaster, 11, performs an original song she wrote for Farmington’s Got Talent at the Meetinghouse Park in Farmington on Friday night. The talent show kicked off Summer Fest in downtown Farmington. Lancaster won in the ages 7-12 category.
Summer Fest organizers, from left, Susun Terese, Andy Buckland and Sue Jones performed a pirate song while judges chose winners of Farmington’s Got Talent at Meetinghouse Park in Farmington on Friday night. Saturday’s Summer Fest activities include a pirate and mermaid-themed children’s parade.
Judges of Farmington’s Got Talent included, from left, Deelight Zitzelberger, Pat Reynolds and Gloria McGraw. The event, held in Meetinghouse Park in Farmington on Friday night, was part of the town’s Summer Fest.
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