Monroe Cheese Festival is looking for its idols

Monroe - Three talented people will earn cash awards at this year’s Cheese Festival, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, in the Village of Monroe. In addition to the usual attractions, the festival will include a competition for vocalists at the ARC Bandstand at 4 p.m. Each singer, or singing group, will perform one song and then a panel of judges will select the finalists. The finals should begin shortly before 5 p.m. After each finalist has performed, the judges will select a champion on the basis of crowd applause. That person will win $250 and be crowned the first Monroe Cheese Idol. The runner-up will receive $100 and the entertainer in third place will get $50. Action in Monroe, the group that organizes the festival, will hold auditions at the Smith Clove Park office building (behind the snack bar) at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30. Candidates are welcome to bring a tape or disk of their background music. The festival was started in 1995 to commemorate the creation of Velveeta and Liederkranz by the Monroe Cheese Company. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Lake Street, Stage Road and Carpenter Place. The ARC Bandstand, where the competition will take place, is at the intersection of Lake Street and Stage Road. For more information, call 774-1727 or visit the festival Web site at www.monroecheesefestival.com.