The Somerville Arts Council is sponsoring the Second Annual Get Your Beard On contest and party March 19 at the Precinct Bar in Union Square.

By Carrie Stanziola
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The Somerville Arts Council is sponsoring the Second Annual Get Your Beard contest and party March 19 at the Precinct in Union Square.
According to Gregory Jenkins of SAC, the contest was inspired by volunteer Todd Easton’s luxurious beard. Easton heard about the national beard and mustache contest, and pitched the idea to the Somerville Arts Council, who incorporated it into their winter series as a way to include more indoor activities. As Jenkins puts it, the event was a success, with about 100 audience members in attendance and 30 to 40 participants in the contest itself.  This year, he hopes for a turnout of around 100 to 150 people.

Ladies, don’t feel excluded: several women participated last year in the fake beard contest, as well as children. There’s even a beard and mustache making table. As for prizes, last year’s winners received medals from the local trophy shop as well as bags of “quirky gifts”, as Jenkins puts it.
Jimmy Del Ponte, who is emceeing the event said, “It promises to be a very hairy situation!” adding that this is his second year hosting, and, as he was clean shaven last year, he felt out of place. However, this year he will blend in with participants, as he has grown a goatee.
To further get into the spirit of the event, Del Ponte arranged a parody music video of the Kinks’ “Tired of Waiting” and altered it to “Tired of Shaving.”  “Tired of Shaving” will be featured on his cable show “Seriously Somerville”, and will also be included in the Beardfest.
Participants can compete in one of five categories: natural full beard, freestyle or creative beard, freestyle moustache, freestyle partial beard such as goatees and sideburns and fake beard.