The City of Rexburg has events set-up to start the spring and summer off with a bang. Last month, the event “Rexburg’s Got Talent” was a huge success.

“Rexburg’s Got Talent was amazing,” said Jackie Rawlins, the cultural arts director for the city of Rexburg. “The finale was incredible. Everybody didn’t know who was going to win because the talent was top notch this year.”

A band called Vox Meridien comprised of college students won the competition. The song they played for the finale was an upbeat version of the Beatles hit, “Hey Jude.”

The last night sold out and even had a surplus of audience members. Folding chairs had to be brought out to accommodate everyone. Rawlins said there had to have been around 400 people there.

Next on the schedule are the auditions for the summer production, “Lion King Junior.” The auditions will be April 12-13 at the Tabernacle Civic Center. You can sign up at Rexburg.org/arts.

The show is open for kids anywhere from 6 to 17 years old.

“It teaches the older kids not to be divas,” Rawlins explained. “And to learn to look out for the younger kids and to help teach them. And it helps the younger kids learn to look up to the older kids and realize the potential they have in themselves.”

The show is the whole Lion King story, although it’s shortened down to a little over an hour. During the whole month of June, the cast will practice Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Rawlins said it helps get kids out of the house during the summer. She’s been told mom’s love it!

The cast will learn the songs, dances, blocking and even play some theater games.

“I’ve done it twice,” Rawlins said. “We’ve had over 200 kids each time that I’ve done it as the director. It’s not a show that you go to your kid’s classroom and watch. It’s a full production. Costumes, lights, makeup, the set.”

The performances of the show will be July 5, 6, and 9 at the Tabernacle.

After the auditions for “Lion King Junior,” the band Foreign Figures is coming back! Their concert will be on April 27 at the Romance Theater. To get tickets visit Rexburg.org/arts.

At the beginning of May, Rexburg will celebrate the famous Star Wars franchise in honor of “May the Fourth Be with You” Day.

“This year we’ve actually been able to get the license to show the Force Awakens and the Last Jedi,” Rawlins said.

Rawlins encouraged everyone to keep an eye out for the exact time. She said they will also do a light show to “Star Wars” music. Rawlins assures it will be a big event.

A national exhibit is coming to Rexburg! NASA has an exhibit about the moon landing that happened 50 years ago this summer.

“The museum of Rexburg has worked really hard to get this exhibit approved to be, for Rexburg to be the first stop,” Rawlins said.

Due to the size of the exhibit the flight museum will host it from June to September.

Rawlins put in a plug for the Storytelling Festival in August. They still have spots open for vendors!

“We want locals to be our vendors,” Rawlins said. “We want locals to buy from locals.”

If you are interested in being a vendor or just have some ideas for other events Rexburg could put on, contact Rawlins through City Hall or through The Venues Facebook page.

“My door’s always open,” Rawlins said.