Thirteen contestants will take the Town Center Amphitheater stage for Live on the Boulevard Stars, a community talent competition featuring performers vying for prizes and future opportunities on some of El Dorado Hills’ biggest stages
EL DORADO HILLS — The stage at El Dorado Hills Town Center will look a little different this Thursday. Instead of one established band taking over the amphitheater for the evening, the spotlight will belong to a diverse group of local performers hoping to become one of El Dorado Hills’ newest stars.
Live on the Boulevard Stars takes center stage Aug. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m., transforming this week’s installment of the popular summer concert series into a community talent competition featuring singers, musicians, bands and other performers.
Presented by the EDH Arts and Entertainment Foundation, the competition brings 13 contestants to the Town Center stage for an evening that combines the atmosphere of Live on the Boulevard with the excitement of a talent show. The performers range from individual singers and musicians to duos and groups, creating one of the most varied lineups of the summer season.
The contestants announced for Thursday’s competition are Annie Davidson, Aubrie Moore, Bee Eigen, Grace McDonald, Grounded, Jazzy Chulick, Jodie Collins, Kadence Wade, Kelsey Long, Mason & Gavin Mennucci, Adalyn Martin, Michael Miller and The Grimmys.
Rather than simply giving performers a chance to take the stage for one night, organizers designed Live on the Boulevard Stars to create opportunities for local talent to become part of some of El Dorado Hills Town Center’s signature entertainment events.
The community showcase gives performers the chance to shine on some of Town Center’s biggest summer stages, including Live on the Boulevard, Tastes of Town Center and the annual Fireworks and Freedom Concert.
For Thursday’s contestants, there is also plenty at stake beyond the experience of performing before a Town Center audience.
The performer selected as the 2026 Live on the Boulevard Star will receive a Kremona guitar, $1,000 in studio recording time, four front-row Sacramento Kings tickets and a $100 Marshall gift card.
The first runner-up will receive a Kremona guitar, four Sacramento Republic FC VIP tickets with parking and a $100 Marshall gift card.
The second runner-up will receive a $100 gift certificate to Nicholson Music Company, four Sacramento Republic FC VIP tickets and a $100 Marshall gift card.
The competition puts the contestants in front of a six-member judging panel representing music, entertainment, business, public safety and the El Dorado Hills community.
The panel includes Cynthia Renee, an award-winning singer-songwriter and Sacramento-based country recording artist; Debbie Manning, president and CEO of the El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce; and El Dorado Hills Fire Chief Mike Lilienthal.
Also judging Thursday’s competition will be veteran vocalist and entertainer Peter Petty; John Bologni, a recording and mixing engineer; and Martin Entwistle, interim chief executive officer of Marshall Medical.
Together, the six judges bring a variety of professional and community perspectives to the competition as they evaluate a field representing different ages, musical styles and approaches to performing.
The contestant roster itself reflects the community focus behind the event. Promotional materials for the competition feature performers with guitars, vocalists, duos and groups ranging from young aspiring entertainers to adult musicians, giving Thursday’s audience something considerably different from the traditional single-band format of Live on the Boulevard.
For some contestants, Thursday may provide an opportunity to perform before one of the larger audiences they have encountered. For others, it offers another chance to build on existing performance experience. Collectively, the competition is intended to give area talent a prominent community stage and a pathway toward future appearances.
That opportunity is at the heart of the EDH Arts and Entertainment Foundation’s competition. By connecting aspiring and established local performers with Town Center’s entertainment calendar, Live on the Boulevard Stars creates the possibility for Thursday’s contestants to return to the same stage — or other major community events — as featured performers.
The competition also adds a new element to the final stretch of the 2026 Live on the Boulevard season. Rather than watching one featured act for the evening, concertgoers will get to see 13 different contestants step into the spotlight, each with an opportunity to make an impression on the judges and the Town Center audience.
Live on the Boulevard Stars runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at the El Dorado Hills Town Center Amphitheater. As with the regular Live on the Boulevard series, the setting gives concertgoers the opportunity to make an evening of the event with dining and shopping available throughout Town Center before the competition begins.
And while Thursday belongs to the community’s aspiring stars, there is still another major night of music ahead before the summer series comes to an end.
Live on the Boulevard returns Aug. 27 with The Spazmatics closing out the 2026 season. The popular group will bring its high-energy celebration of 1980s new wave, pop and dance music to the Town Center Amphitheater for the final scheduled concert of the summer.
Before then, the focus is squarely on Thursday’s contestants. With 13 acts, six judges and prizes ranging from professional recording time and musical instruments to Sacramento Kings and Republic FC experiences, Live on the Boulevard Stars gives local performers an opportunity to showcase their talents, compete for significant prizes and potentially earn their way onto some of El Dorado Hills Town Center’s biggest stages.
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