NORTH COAST, Calif. – On Saturday, Oct. 1., the Ukiah Valley will be filled with the sounds of musicians giving back to their community in an all ages, family friendly show.

Presented by 94.5 K-Wine, Max 93.5, Mendo Lake Credit Union and Russian River Records, the fourth annual Rising Stars Music Showcase will be held from noon to midnight at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, 1055 N. State St., Ukiah.

Rising Stars focuses on presenting the often-unheard musical talents of Lake and Mendocino County Musicians in a 12-hour music festival as the musicians perform in support of local nonprofit organizations.

“The musical talent is phenomenal and the community support for this event is outstanding,” said event organizer Mary Chadwick. “This show is a real testament to the talented musicians living in our own communities and their desire to give back to the neighborhoods where they live and work in a huge way.”

Chadwick said that since the event’s inception in 2008, thousands of dollars have been raised for local non-profit organizations.

This year, several nonprofit organizations are participating in the event in hopes of raising community awareness for their organizations.

Nonprofits that will be represented at this 12-hour show are Redwood Children’s Services, Children’s Action Committee, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Mendocino County Aids/Viral Hepatitis Network, Ukiah Lions Youth Football & Cheer, Willits Senior Center, 2BU Clothes Closet, Guitars For Troops and Tapestry.

The musicians are allotted 25-minute sets in which to perform. All back line stage equipment is provided therefore setup is minimal for each performing act.

Musicians are placed in groups according to genre with each act being judged on their own merits of stage performance, musical talent and audience reaction with judges awarding points individually in each category.

Awards are given in each of the categories and overall points winners for first, second and third place overall.

Musicians must adhere to strict guidelines for performance. Besides adhering to the time restraints, they are only allowed to use a limited amount of their own equipment and must keep their performance 100-percent family friendly.

All performing acts agree to these guidelines prior to performance and understand that if a member of their group violates one of the guidelines, the whole group risks disqualification. II Big and last year’s winners, Stand Out State will also be performing this year.

Rising Stars 2011 has a slate of local businesses that have stepped forward to support this event including, Ukiah Daily Journal, Harley Davidson of Ukiah, Reliable Mill Supply, John Johns Sign Co., Super 8 of Ukiah, Yokayo Bowling Center, dig! Music, Vedolla Dance Productions, Schat’s Bakeries & Cafes, Pure Comfort Limousine Services, Classic Security and Event Services, Mendo Mill & Lumber, Jonah’s Jumps, Lyly’s Radiators and S&T Graphics.

The public is encouraged to attend this daylong music festival. All ages are welcomed and entry is a suggested $5 donation with everyone who donates $10 and over receiving a free classic event t-shirt.

All proceeds of this event will go to participating nonprofits.

The schedule of performances can be found on the event’s Web site, www.risingstarscompetition.com.