Carl Perkins Center Hosts 10th Annual Lip Sync and Dance Battle Feb. 21

The Carl Perkins Center will bring a night of music and movement to the Decatur County Fairgrounds when it stages its tenth annual Lip Sync and Dance Battle Feb. 21 at 6:00 p.m. Organizers promote the event as one of the year's biggest community fundraisers and an evening of competition and entertainment for local residents.

The Center’s Decatur listing identifies the event as "the Center’s tenth annual event (replacing Dancing with the Stars)." Promotional posts on social media repeat the call to attend: a Facebook post says, "Don't miss out on one of our biggest nights of the year! Our Lip Sync / Dance Battle is February 21st and you don't want to miss out!" An Instagram capture announces, "Decatur Co Carl Perkins Center presents LIP SYNC/DANCE BATTLE FEBRUARY 21 2026 6:00 p.m. at the Decatur Co. Fairgrounds Sponsorship Levels." Event copy on the site begins the program description with the fragment "It will feature a night of competition between fiv"; the listing text is truncated there.

For local audiences, the show provides both entertainment and a chance to support the Carl Perkins Center’s work in Decatur and surrounding counties. The Center's website highlights partnerships with groups such as Kid Central TN, National Children's Alliance, National Exchange Club, Tennessee Department of Children's Services, and United Way, underscoring the nonprofit network that supports child welfare and related services in the region.

The Carl Perkins Center is also running a related county fundraiser in April. An event listing for Haywood County ties a Lip Sync Dance Battle to "Our 26th Annual Carl Perkins Center Dinner & Auction" scheduled Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology - TCAT Blue Oval Campus, 8285 TN-222, Stanton, TN 38069, with directions to "use Exit 42 from the interstate." That listing invites attendees to "Delight in a night of entertainment and an opportunity to support an amazingly worthy cause - child abuse prevention." It adds, "You'll be able to enjoy complimentary drinks and appetizers while bidding on your favorite silent auction items through our new easy-to-use online auction site."

The Haywood dinner and auction describes a social dining format with multiple food stations so guests can "breeze between food stations for a more dynamic set-up. Guests may customize their dishes." Menu items listed include "classic bacon wrapped chicken, Philly steak sliders, and mouth watering Alice spring chicken," with sides and desserts described as "green beans, rolls, and a potato bar with all the trimmings," and "chess square bites, cheesecake bites, and brownie bites." The listing makes the event's purpose explicit: "All proceeds raised directly support safety, healing, and justice for victimized children. Join us and support the work the Center does to help abused children in our community."

Decatur residents planning to attend Feb. 21 should note the start time of 6:00 p.m. at the Decatur County Fairgrounds and that organizers have promoted sponsorship opportunities on social channels. For those interested in the broader campaign across counties, the April 18 Haywood dinner provides an example of the Center’s larger fundraising strategy and the services those funds support.