GROVES — A few changes are coming to this year’s Groves Pecan Festival.

The event, which kicks off Oct. 25 and runs through Oct. 29, will not feature a photo and art contest this year due to lack of a volunteer for a chairperson and a venue to hold the event.

Ronnie Boneau, executive director of the Groves Chamber of Commerce, which runs the festival, said he is disappointed at the decision to drop the event this year. Board members discussed the issue but without a chairperson or a venue to hold the event, they were left with no other choice.

The contest had previously been held at Groves Café and Kizmet studio before that as well as at an art studio, but those options are not available. Boneau said they discussed using the Texas Artist Museum but that venue is still closed down for repairs after last year’s flooding.

Groves Got Talent

Beau Wilson with Electrifying Sounds DJ Service is this year’s entertainment coordinator and he has decided to switch it up a bit, he said on the Groves Pecan Festival’s Facebook page.

“This year, I am doing away with the bands for live entertainment. Instead, I want to see this great city, I call home, put on the show we’ve all been needing in our lives,” Wilson said in the post. “It’s my pleasure to announce that the 2018 Groves Pecan Festival will be holding the first ever “Groves Got Talent.”

The contest will have 20 people competing for $1,000. The talent can be everything from singing and dancing to drumming, cracking jokes and more.

Those who want to compete are asked to email Beau Wilson at esdj1981@gmail.com with an audition video of whatever talent you have. Singing, dancing, stand-up comedy, musicians, dance teams, cheer teams, etc. he will pick 20 contestants and post them on Oct. 14.

Once chosen for the big days, you will need three routines prepared.

• 1st Act – Friday Night
• 2nd Act – Saturday Night (Semi-Finals)
• 3rd Act – Saturday Night (Finals)

On Friday night all 20 acts will perform, sending 10 acts home at the end of the night.

On Saturday night the remaining 10 acts will perform for the semi-finals, where another five acts will be sent home before the final five perform for the finals and grand prize of $1,000. There will also be a second- and third-place prize.

The pageant

Earlier this year officials with the festival were forced to cancel the annual queen’s scholarship pageant for the first time in the history of the event because there weren’t enough entries.

Last year it was suggested the chamber start accepting entries early as a way to ensure enough applicants and they did. They opened up registration a full month early on May 1. Neon pink fliers were sent home with girls in Groves schools, dance studios also had the information available, it was posted on the marquee outside the city’s activity center on 39^th Street and posted on various sites on social media.

Last year there were about 50 entries spread out across the age groups, from age 3 on up to 12^th grade. This year there were fewer and only two in the queen’s category — not nearly enough considering the winners earn scholarships.

For more information on the festival call the chamber at 409-962-3631.