WOODSTOCK — The Woodstock Fair, with the enthusiastic support of Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, announced the 2019 Connecticut Battle of the Bands competition June 28.
The Governor visited the Fairgrounds to make the announcement of the event which will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 30 during the opening day of the 159th annual Woodstock Fair.
The Battle of the Bands will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival that took place in Bethel, N.Y.
“We’re celebrating Woodstock in Woodstock, it’s the perfect place to do it,” Lamont said. “I was 14-years-old at the time, I really wanted to go and they wouldn’t let me go so I get to come this time around. It was some of the greatest music and some of the acts had their best performances at Woodstock. We’re going to have some amazing bands come and re-create that feeling.”
Five Connecticut-based bands will be selected to take part in the competition with a total of $17,000 in prize money and the title of “Connecticut Band of the Year” up for grabs.
Bands are invited to send in a video, which does not have to be professionally produced, consisting of one song that was played at the original Woodstock music festival in New York and up to two other songs of their choice.
To determine if a band is Connecticut-based, there will have to be at least one active member with a Connecticut driver’s license.
Bands must also provide a short bio with their members’ names and residences, photos of the members, musical genre, how long the band has been together, some of the venues in which they have performed and a photo copy of a member’s Connecticut driver’s license to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The entry deadline is July 31.
The five bands will be selected by a panel of judges and will be notified by Aug. 7.
Each band will perform 30 minutes on the Main Stage at the Woodstock Fair, playing its rendition of songs that were performed at the original Woodstock Music Festival 50 years ago.
A celebrity panel of judges, including Governor Lamont - with extra points given for audience participation and enthusiasm - will decide the outcome of the competition.
Bands are also encouraged to dress in costume significant of the Woodstock Music Festival.
“The winning band gets some prize money and, not only that, but they will be the ‘2019 Connecticut Band of the Year.’ You can run with that all over,” Lamont said.
For complete contest rules, go to www.woodstockfair.com

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