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Opportunity Knocks! Southern Ohio’s Premier Talent Competition 

Your chance to showcase your talent, perform on the historic Paxton Theatre stage (once played by Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, and many more), win a $1000 prize, and play to the crowd at one of Ohio’s largest street festivals.  Presented by The Fall Festival of Leaves in Bainbridge, OH, October 20th-22nd, 2023

Want to participate? Submit your 2 minute videos via Instagram to be considered. 40 finalists will be selected to perform in the prelim competitions on Friday, October 20th and Saturday, October 21st in the historic Paxton Theatre. The Top 10 will perform live on the Festival Main Stage at 4pm on Sunday, October 23rd. The winner will be chosen and announced live immediately following Sunday’s performances.

How to Join the Competition:

  • Submissions accepted from June 5th to August 28th, 2023.
  • Fill out the Opportunity Knocks! registration form below.
  • Upload and tag your 2-minute video performance in an Instagram Reel (details below).

Video Upload Regulations

  • Video must be within 30 seconds to 2 minutes in duration in Instagram reels format. 
  • Mandatory Caption: [Full Name]_[Age]_[Talent]. Tag @fallfestivalofleaves and use hashtag #OKFFL23 in the caption.
  • Video must be stationary and in landscape mode. One-take shots only, no cuts/editing.
  • Video must be in good lighting and quality.
  • Talent, costumes, and/or props must not contain any salacious or adult themed content.
  • Video must be original, and not been previously published publicly.

 Competition Date

  • Submission Period: June 5th – August 28th, 2023
  • The Top 40 Contestants Qualifying for the Live Prelims Announced via Instagram @fallfestivalofleaves on September 18th, 2023.
  • Preliminary Competitions (Top 40) are on October 20th & 21st from 1pm to 3pm at the Paxton Theatre.
  • Grand Final (Top 10) is on October 22nd from 4pm to 6pm on the Fall Festival of Leaves Main Stage.  

Terms & Conditions:

  • Participants under the age of 18 must have a guardian fill out and submit their registration.
  • Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all public events.
  • This competition is open to both solo performers and groups.
  • This competition is free of charge.
  • The competition is open to participants from Ohio, Kentucky, or West Virginia. Weekend travel to Bainbridge, OH (45612) is required for the Top 40 participating in prelims/finals.
  • Talent(s) eligible for submission would fall under most performing arts categories (singing, playing musical instruments, dancing, magic, stand-up comedy, etc).
  • Uploaded video must follow & comply with all video upload regulations.
  • Participants (Guardians) Instagram account must follow @fallfestivalofleaves and be set to public.
  • Judges have the right to eliminate participants for any reason and without prior notification.
  • The Fall Festival of Leaves and The Paxton Theatre (not limited to judges, organizers, and any parties appointed by either) have the right to distribute, publish, and use submitted videos as promotional content via social media or all other channels of communication. 
  • By submitting your data and joining Opportunity Knocks! Southern Ohio’s Premier Talent Competition, you have read and agreed to all terms & conditions mentioned above. 
  • No professional (paid) entertainers may apply.
  • No members or immediate family members of the Fall Festival of Leaves Committee may apply.