LEWISTON — Maine’s Got Talent is back for its eighth year on Saturday, March 9, at The Dolard & Priscilla Gendron Franco Center, 46 Cedar St.

The event, modeled after “America’s Got Talent” and “American Idol,” features ten musical performers from Maine competing for cash prizes in front of a live and engaged audience. Each performer is judged on a scale of 1 to 10 from three local celebrity judges, as well as from audience participation and feedback.

Maine’s Got Talent will showcase musicians performing opera, rap, original pieces and favorite covers. Auditions held to select performers were the best attended in the event’s history.

This year’s celebrity judges are local musician and past Maine’s Got Talent performer Thomas Doucette, Celeste from the WBLM Morning Show and Joe Philippon of the Lewiston Police Department. Local actress and copywriter Molly F. McGill hosts.

All ticket holders are invited to attend the pre-show reception at 6 p.m. with cash bar and light hors d’oeuvres downstairs in Heritage Hall before the event. All media welcome. Photo ops and interviews available. There will also be an intermission halfway through the show featuring cash bar and food for sale. Tickets are currently on sale for the public at sandcastlemaine.org.

Maine’s Got Talent is the annual fundraising event for Lewiston-based non-profit Sandcastle Clinical & Educational Services, which provides a full range of clinical and educational services to individuals of all ages and abilities, and L/A Hearing Center.