SolarFest LogoSolarFest — slated for July 15-16, 2023 in Brandon, Vermont — is again hosting a Singer-Songwriter Showcase following a hiatus of several years. It’s free to enter and open to all artists who write and perform original music and are not currently signed to a major recording label.

Entries, which are due by May 15, will be evaluated based on composition (music and lyrics), vocal and instrumental delivery, and overall live performance. Judging will be done prior to the festival – with one winner and four finalists invited to perform on the festival’s solar-powered main stage on Saturday, July 15. Cash prizes will also be awarded — $300 for the winner and $75 or the finalists — while the winner will be invited to perform a full set at next year’s festival.

May 15 is the deadline to submit applications online via the use of a Google Form [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxnBHBQY1YyxFP2hB4m8sDHcGWTudPcySNtCvlXndZFJYzww/viewform]. All entries must include links to two live performance videos, a brief bio, and a link to the artist’s website.

Launched in 1995, SolarFest aims to connect people, the arts, ideas and technology, fostering partnerships and activism to create a vibrant present and a sustainable future. “In addition to workshops and great information on renewable energy, SolarFest has been the home to diverse and exciting music,” says singer-songwriter Phil Henry, a festival organizer. Among the more than 20 artists and acts who will showcase their talents during this year’s festival are Dar Williams, House of Hamill, HuDost, Lara Herscovitch & the Philosopher Kings, Pamela Means, Louise Mosrie Coombe, and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival “Most Wanted” Preview Tour featuring Phil Henry, Grace Morrison, Sam Robbins, and Erin Ash Sullivan. Henry, Herscovitch and Mosrie Coombe are previous SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Showcase winners.

“The Singer-Songwriter Showcase gives up-and-coming singer-songwriters an opportunity to stand and deliver original music on a beautiful stage with stellar production,” Henry told AcousticMusicScene.com. “For me, being selected and winning SolarFest was a critical acknowledgement that was so important early in my career.”

More information on SolarFest and its Singer-Songwriter Showcase may be found at solarfest.org.