Fiddling Fun: Fiddlers Convention returns with music, crafts, jam bands and more
ATHENS – Nestled beneath the shade trees dotting the campus of Athens State University, guitar, bass and fiddle pickers break out into songs reminiscent of the bluegrass and country players of old — Earl Scruggs, the Delmore Brothers and Hank Williams. The free-form impromptu jam sessions pop up daily, entertaining passers-by.
Such is the life at the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention, nicknamed the Granddaddy of Midsouth Fiddlers Conventions.
“The Fiddlers Convention is unlike anything else,” said Chris Latham, Athens State’s director of marketing. “It’s a gathering of all these music fans from all over the country. We have jam bands who gather across campus and play music. They are complete strangers, but they’re united in their love for the music. It’s such a spectacle to see. It’s really neat.”
The 54th annual three-day festival on the grounds of Athens State will kick off tonight with music, folk-style crafts and food.
At stake for the competitors are the Alabama State Champion titles for harmonica, mandolin, bluegrass banjo, dobro, dulcimer, old-time singing, guitar finger picking, old-time banjo, classic old-time fiddler, guitar flat pick, senior fiddler, bluegrass band, junior fiddler, old-time string band and intermediate fiddler.
The competition will begin Friday at 7 p.m. and resume Saturday at 8:30 a.m., culminating with the fiddle-off, which showcases the winners of the junior, intermediate and senior fiddle divisions. In 2018, the last year a fiddle champion was named — in 2019, the competition ended early due to inclement weather, and, in 2020, the pandemic canceled the convention — Bill Jones, of Georgia, strummed, picked and bowed his way to the title of Alabama State Fiddle Champion.
Mark Ralph, of Somerville, was the last north Alabamian to win the title in 2015.
“If this is your first time coming, you will be amazed how many really good fiddle players there will be,” Ralph said in 2016. “You will be shocked at how well some of the kids can play. And the adults, they could play with any orchestra anywhere, they are that talented.”
During a typical year, the festival attracts 10,000 to 12,000 spectators from across the United States and 300 musicians, who compete in more than a dozen categories, including buck dancing. How the turnout will look this year depends heavily on the pandemic, Latham said.
“From everything we’ve heard from people, we’re expecting for and hoping for a similar turnout this year. The fact that it’s supposed to be good weather will help also,” Latham said.
Along with the competitions, the convention will feature special music from Volume Five tonight at 7. On Friday, Jimmy Fortune, who sang tenor for The Statler brothers for 21 years, will take the stage at 5 p.m., followed by Grammy-nominated bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent at 6 p.m. The event will culminate with Grammy-nominated Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver on Saturday at 5 p.m. In addition to the music, a craft vendor area will house more than 150 artists and artisans.
On Saturday, the convention will hold a special show at McCandless Hall paying tribute to the Delmore Brothers. During the 3 p.m. show, which will include the dedication of the stage in honor of the duo from Limestone County, Mike Compton and Andy Todd will perform the Delmore Brothers’ greatest hits.
All of the convention’s events will take place at the Athens State campus. Admission is free tonight, $15 on Friday, $15 on Saturday, $20 for a two-day pass, and free for children 11 and younger with a paid adult.
“What makes Fiddlers so popular is the love of music. The Fiddlers’ tagline is ‘Family. Friends. Fiddlers.’ We feel like it’s a big family. You may come as strangers, but you will leave as friends,” Latham said.
For more information, visit Tvotfc.org.
While in Athens, stop by Merchants Alley off of Jefferson Street. The interactive art display and gathering space coordinated by Athens Main Street features “Playing the Sound of the Wind: The Fiddler’s Song,” a 20-by-40-foot mural created by Decatur native Adam Stephenson.
The mural, with splashes of reds, yellows, blues and purples amid geometric designs, features hands playing a fiddle. To create the design, Stephenson, who researched the musical history of the city, found inspiration from the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention.
“I wanted to capture the flow state that you reach while playing your instrument,” said Stephenson. “I hope I did justice for all the fiddlers that come through the city and captured their spirit in the work.”
