Posted 1:07 am Thursday, May 24, 2012
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Athens Kicking Off Annual Fiddlers Reunion Today
The 81st Athens Old Fiddlers Reunion and Contest kicks off with a jam session at 7:30 p.m. today, but the main attraction will begin at 9 a.m. Friday with competition in various age categories throughout the day.
It is reputedly the oldest contest of its kind in the nation that runs continuously.
Judges will be Little Red Hayes, Texas Shorty Chancellor and Benny Bennett.
Scheduled to give welcoming remarks during an opening ceremony are Henderson County Judge Richard Sanders and Athens Mayor Randy Daniel.
The categories of competition have been realigned this year and contestants in each division will vie for prizes of $200 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place.
It is reputedly the oldest contest of its kind in the nation that runs continuously.
Judges will be Little Red Hayes, Texas Shorty Chancellor and Benny Bennett.
Scheduled to give welcoming remarks during an opening ceremony are Henderson County Judge Richard Sanders and Athens Mayor Randy Daniel.
The categories of competition have been realigned this year and contestants in each division will vie for prizes of $200 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place.
A new division added this year is the acoustic guitar division for all ages at 6 p.m.
The senior contest for fiddlers aged 66 and over will begin at 10 a.m. and the adult contest for ages 30 to 65 will be at 11 a.m. followed by the western swing band competition at noon.
The young adult contest for ages 19-30 will be at 2 p.m. and the youth contest for ages 18 and under will be at 3 p.m. Competition in the open division for all ages will be at 4 p.m.
The playoff for grand champion will begin at 5 p.m. The grand champion will receive a $600 prize and runner-up, $400.
The senior contest for fiddlers aged 66 and over will begin at 10 a.m. and the adult contest for ages 30 to 65 will be at 11 a.m. followed by the western swing band competition at noon.
The young adult contest for ages 19-30 will be at 2 p.m. and the youth contest for ages 18 and under will be at 3 p.m. Competition in the open division for all ages will be at 4 p.m.
The playoff for grand champion will begin at 5 p.m. The grand champion will receive a $600 prize and runner-up, $400.
Additional attractions are a carnival in the Old City Market Square in downtown Athens and a street dance at 8 p.m. Friday.
There also will be concession stands along the sidewalks surrounding the square.
The fiddlers contest had its beginning in 1932 in the Bethel Community, six miles north of Athens, when a group there decided to stage a countywide fiddlers contest as a climax to a farmers’ study course.
Fourteen string bands entered the contest and about 900 people attended. Because of the enthusiastic response the event received, they decided to make the contest an annual event and moved it the next year to the Athens High School auditorium.
Since 1934, the contest has been on the courthouse square. It is always the last Friday in May and produced by the Texas Fiddlers Association Inc.
There also will be concession stands along the sidewalks surrounding the square.
The fiddlers contest had its beginning in 1932 in the Bethel Community, six miles north of Athens, when a group there decided to stage a countywide fiddlers contest as a climax to a farmers’ study course.
Fourteen string bands entered the contest and about 900 people attended. Because of the enthusiastic response the event received, they decided to make the contest an annual event and moved it the next year to the Athens High School auditorium.
Since 1934, the contest has been on the courthouse square. It is always the last Friday in May and produced by the Texas Fiddlers Association Inc.
