3rd Annual Boone’s Got Talent Moves to Winter and Adds Cash Prizes; Applications Due Soon

BOONE, NC, November 10, 2025 — The Town of Boone is excited to announce the 2026
Boone’s Got Talent showcase to take place Saturday, February 7, 2026, with applications due by
December 1, 2025.
Boone’s Got Talent started in 2024 as the official kick-off event for Boonerang Music &
Arts Festival. The event showcases some of the High Country’s best local performers of many
styles and types, from musical and dancing acts to magicians and acrobatic feats, all featured
on the Doc Watson Stage at the historic Appalachian Theatre in downtown Boone.
“The talent showcase was started as a way to feature broader artistic mediums at Boonerang
and to give more local performers a chance to be a part of the festival,” says event director,
Mark Freed.
While the event has kicked off the festival weekend for the past two years, the third
annual Boone’s Got Talent is moving to February in 2026.
“The move will allow us to put a little more focus and energy on Boone’s Got Talent and
also give us the potential of inviting some of the performers back for the festival weekend to be
a part of Boonerang stages and spaces beyond the Theatre,” Freed says. “We also like the idea
of bringing the festival spirit to the High Country in the middle of the winter, when we could all
use a reminder of summer and while the schools and university are in session.”
In addition to the talent showcase moving to February, the 2026 showcase will also feature
cash prizes, including a $500 top prize; two $250 runners-up awards; and a $250 prize for the
audience favorite. Contestants will be judged by creativity, stage presence, technical skill,
audience engagement, and overall impression.
“We have had such a great time with this program,” says Suzanne Livesay, Executive
Director of the Appalachian Theatre. “It is so fun to work with a wide variety of performers,
who really showcase the diverse talent of the High Country.”
The Boone’s Got Talent application is due on December 1, and it is available at
www.boonerangfest.com/bgt. Performers of all kinds are encouraged to apply to be a part of
this unique High Country talent showcase. Applicants will be selected by December 19, for the
February 7 event.
Though the talent contest will not take place on Boonerang weekend, the event is still
tied to the festival, and some participants will be asked to return in June for a repeat
performance.
“Boone’s Got Talent provides a great opportunity for community members to be part of
Boonerang Music & Arts Festival and also to have a chance to perform on the Doc Watson
Stage at the Appalachian Theatre,” says Appalachian Theatre Executive Director, Suzanne
Livesay.
Boonerang is proud to highlight the area’s next generation of artists and local
performers. The acts selected for the show will be announced May 16, 2025, upon a thorough
review of all applications.
About the Boonerang Music & Arts Festival
Boonerang is a free, family-friendly music and arts festival in downtown Boone. The
festival includes multiple concert stages, primarily made up of artists with Boone connections.
Other festival highlights include local food and beer, a vendor market, a kids zone, a dance lot,
silent discos, an International Celebration, and numerous afterparties around town. To learn
more about the 2026 Boonerang festival, please visit www.boonerangfest.com.