The first Heritage Alive Mountain Youth Talent Contest of the year will be held April 28 at the Greening Up the Mountains festival in Sylva.

Entry forms are due April 18. The other competitions will be held later in the year.

The purpose of the competition is to discover, develop and encourage talent in the youth of Western North Carolina and to provide an opportunity for local youth to perform on stage before an audience.

“I think it’s good to sing and play in front of an audience.  It’s good practice,” said Alma Russ, who performed in one of the contests for the first time last year. “It’s important not to hide your talent and good to show others what you can do.”

A “Best of Show” winner is determined at each Mountain Youth Talent Contest and those youth are then invited to perform on stage each fall at the Mountain Heritage Day held at Western Carolina University.

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