The Cantinas Music Festival, taking place at the Paso Robles Event Center on August 25, 2012, will host celebrity judges Kathie Lee Gifford, Candace Cameron Bure, and MercyMe Paradigm Agent, Michael Van Dyck for its live Christian singer/songwriter talent competition.

The Cantinas Worship Song Competition pits the top three finalists, Dorcas Smith, Kyler Gentry and Kyle Davelaar, who were selected from national online submissions for the Cantinas Talent Search. The three finalists will perform live at the festival where they'll compete amongst the judges for a chance to win a $2,000 cash prize.

Emmy Award winning judge Kathie Lee Gifford is best known for her role on the show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and The Today Show, and has also been in the spotlight as a singer, songwriter and actress.

Candace Cameron Bure, star of the hit show Full House, (who played DJ) and ABC Family's Make It Or Break It, continues to act while also serving as the National Ambassador for National House of Hope, among other charitable efforts.

The third judge of the Competition is Michael Van Dyck, from Paradigm Agency. Paradigm manages MercyMe, the number one Christian rock band in the US with over seven million albums sold.

"Aside from the one-of-a-kind, star-studded night of musical entertainment for the whole family, the Cantinas Music Festival is proud to offer top-notch daycare with activities for children, providing couples with a chance to enjoy an exciting and affordable date night," says Event Co-Executive Producer Karen Waldron.

The Cantinas Music Festival will feature a full day of free festival-style family entertainment from 12 PM/Noon to 8 PM and at the Talent contest is slated to start at 3 PM on The Water Music Stage (Stage 2). The concert starts at 6 PM on the main stage and features an evening of live performances by top Christian music groups including MercyMe, The Newsboys, Building 429 and Kylie Hughes. General admission tickets to Cantinas Music Festival concert ($33) are available online now at www.CantinasMusicFestival.com and can be purchased at the door. All military receive a 15%

discount. VIP Lounge tickets are sold out for ages 21 and over (which include dinner for $125) and VIP tickets for all ages to the concert only ($75) are also available online.

The Cantinas Talent Search is conducted by Cantinas Ranch Foundation (22917 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 300, Malibu, CA 90265). The foundation is a non-profit 501(C)(3) entity whose mission is to encourage talented Christian teen and college-level artists and to promote healthy family values and interaction.

Questions and comments relating to the Cantinas Worship Song Competition should be directed to TalentSearch@cantinasmusicfestival.com. For more information about Cantinas Music Festival, visit www.CantinasMusicFestival.com.