With more than $20,000 in cash and prizes, including $10,000 for the tournament champion, this event is sure to attract the area’s best guitar heroes. Registration for the one-day tournament is free with officials preparing to host up to 2,500 competitors. Participants will battle on 50 Guitar Hero stations set up in Mystic Lake Casino’s Grand Ballroom. The rockers who advance to the final round of the tournament will compete in front of a live audience in the Mystic Showroom on Saturday night.

“We are inviting anyone and everyone with an inner rock star to come out and compete in this free Guitar Hero tournament,” said Bryan Prettyman, vice president of marketing for Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. “The ‘Rock the Lake’ tournament not only gives our guests the opportunity to win cash and prizes, but also the chance to rock out on the same stage as rock legends KANSAS, Rick Springfield, The Doobie Brothers and Ringo Starr.”

Tournament participants must be at least 18 years old and be Club Mystic members. Club Mystic Membership is free and can be completed the day of the event. Every registered participant is guaranteed one match in the qualifying round and a free t-shirt. The top three “Best Dressed” rockers also will be rewarded with cash prizes. Guitar riffs and solos begin at 10 a.m. with the start of the qualifying round. All songs during the competition are played on “medium” difficulty, with the semifinals and final round increased to the “hard” difficulty level.

The competition is scheduled as follows:

• 6 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. Random number distribution
• 7:30 a.m. – A random number will be drawn from all numbers distributed; tournament spots will be filled sequentially based on the number drawn
• 8 a.m. – Registration begins
• 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Qualifying Rounds – head-to-head matches every 15 minutes
• 5 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.: Quarterfinal Round – the top 140 scoring players in single elimination play
• 6 p.m.: Semifinal Wild Card – one wild card player will be drawn from all non-advancing players
• 6:30 – 7 p.m.: Semifinal Round A – eight players, head-to-head in single elimination match
• 7 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Semifinal Round B – four finalists from Round A, single elimination, head-to-head
• 8 p.m.: Final Round – Best of three songs wins the grand prize, $10,000

Official tournament rules and procedures, as well as additional media materials are available in the Mystic Pressroom.

With the promise of stiff competition and amazing prizes, interested individuals may be looking for some additional playing time with a guitar, big screen and audience. For extra practice against tough competition, a pre-event is scheduled on Tuesday, May 20 from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. in the Mall of America rotunda. Mystic Lake, along with 93X, will host this free event in which participants can compete against Guitar Hero pros – 93X DJs and well-known Guitar Hero fanatic, Chris Kluwe.