Performers who have made it through two rounds of competition will bring a wide variety of skills to bear at the finale for the second SOKY’s Got Talent.

Debbie Thornton, a Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center Foundation board member who was instrumental in establishing the talent competition, said this year’s performers have been fantastic.

“We’ve got a good number of groups this year and we’ve seen some great talent,” she said.

Thornton said 51 acts signed up for the contest and 37 made it to the semifinals. Now there are 23, spread across five age groups, planning to take the stage in hopes of winning the SOKY Award.

“It varies from musicians to dancers to (a) ventriloquist,” Thornton said. “It’s been exciting to see this kind of talent.”

At 6:15 p.m. Saturday, SKyPAC will roll out the red carpet for the competitors. The finale will begin at 7 p.m.

Some adult tickets are $15 and some are $25, though all student and children’s tickets are $12, Thornton said. Tickets can be purchased at theskypac.com or by calling 270-904-1880.

Thornton said SOKY’s Got Talent was established to highlight the talents of people living in SKyPAC’s service area, which includes Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson and Warren counties.

“We wanted to utilize our local talent and utilize the Capitol stage,” she said, in reference to previous rounds of the competition, which took place at the Capitol Arts Center, which SKyPAC oversees. “This was a way we thought of to put local talent on that beautiful stage.”

The competition is divided into five age groups: Twinkling Stars for contestants 10 and under, Rising Stars for competitors 11 to 15, Shooting Stars for those 16 to 21, Supernovas for performers 22 to 35 and Meteors for everyone 36 and over.

Each age group will have its own winner, who will receive $250. There will be an overall champion as well who will receive an additional $250 and the SOKY Trophy, Thornton said.

Emma Rutter, a 14-year-old Bowling Green resident who competed in the first SOKY’s Got Talent, said she was excited to return and plans to sing “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” from “The Phantom of the Opera” during her set.

“I think it’s just for fun,” she said. “I don’t think about winning. I just want to show my talent to show that I’m not just a 14-year-old girl who likes to sing.”

Jade Keltner, an Edmonson County 16-year-old, is competing in SOKY’s Got Talent for the second time as well.

Last year, she made it to the competition’s semifinals, though she said she’s thrilled to be competing in this year’s finale.

“It feels amazing,” she said. “I feel like I’ve improved so much and I’ve improved what I have to offer to the audience.”

For the finale, Keltner plans to perform English singer Calum Scott’s “You Are the Reason,” she said.

“It’s usually performed by a male vocalist, but I turned it around to a female point of view so I hope the crowd really enjoys it,” she said.

Keltner said she has enjoyed meeting new people through the competition.

“It’s a great way to become involved with the community and become a big family,” she said.

She said she appreciates SOKY’s Got Talent giving her a chance to demonstrate her skills when she normally doesn’t have the opportunity.

“I’m from Edmonson County and it’s really small and there aren’t a lot of opportunities, and I just wanted to put myself out there,” she said.