Partners of Peabody Parks and Peabody Main Street are trying something new for the second event in the 2011 Sleepy Creek Concert Series. The groups are featuring YOU as the entertainment! Many clever and talented people live in our community and the concert series hosts would like to see as many as possible performing July 31 at the Community Talent Show in Santa Fe Park.

Do you sing? Can you recite the entire alphabet in one long drawn out belch? Did you perform a dance routine to a number from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album for Mary Anne’s School of Dance? Would you do it again? Here, in July?

How about a poetry recitation or a tumbling routine? Do you play an instrument? Are you part of a quartet that performs at church? Or wait, who is a member of a kazoo band or a precision lawn chair drill team?

As you can see, there are a plethora of possibilities.

Whatever you do, the Sleepy Creek Concert Series needs your talent and the sponsors will hand you $200 if you are the best! You don’t even have to be a Peabody resident. POPPs and PMSA will take talent from all over the globe.

The concert series is a fundraiser to encourage performance of the arts downtown and to eventually pay for restroom facilities in Santa Fe Park. Many groups use the park for their events and promotions. The lack of restrooms is a problem, especially for events that take place when local businesses (and their restrooms) are closed. The city budget is burdened by more pressing needs and restrooms at Santa Fe Park are not even on the city council’s financial radar.

A variety of musical groups have performed for the Sleepy Creek Concert Series. Bluegrass, folk, and gospel groups, Civil War musicians, a barber shop quartet, and many others have entertained us on the last Sunday evening of the month during the summer for four years. A light meal usually accompanies the entertainment. The cost of the meal and concert is by donation. Community members linger long after the entertainers have headed home, visiting and reminiscing about community gatherings of the past.

So what are you waiting for? You know you really want to show off your talent. Deep down inside you know you want to share it. And POPPs and Peabody Main Street want to help you. They even will pay you if you win.

I am pretty sure you will have fun with this and I would hazard a guess that if you win, not only will you be $200 richer, you might be the headliner in the 10-, 25-, or 50-years ago today column in this newspaper. How about that? You could be a ‘famous historic Peabody character.’ Can you say that in one long drawn out belch? There is only one way to find out. Sign up now!

— Susan Marshall