June 30, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
Its show time in Smithville as the Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival returns to town with thousands expected to flock to the acclaimed festival. Each day, Friday and Saturday, July 1 & 2 begins at 9am with over 35 music and dance categories, streets full of hand-made crafts, and food booths galore.
The Community Chorus headlined a pre-jamboree patriotic program Thursday evening at Evins Park downtown joined by the Smithville Select Dancers and the DeKalb Dancin’ Delights led by Mary Ann Puckett.
The Chorus will be featured again on the Jamboree Stage as part of the Official Welcoming Ceremony Friday evening around 6 p.m. along with the posting of colors and brief remarks by local government and community leaders. A United States flag and a Tennessee State flag will also be presented by State Senator Mark Pody and State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver and Clark Boyd to the persons who have traveled the greatest distances to get here, both from inside and outside the country. Fiddler’s Jamboree Craft Awards will be presented during the weekend for “Best of Show”, “Best Appalachian Craft”, “Best Newcomer”, and “Best Craft Display”.
The Kody Norris Show country bluegrass band will be honored on Saturday, July 2 at 5 p.m. as the 2022 Blue Blaze Award recipient followed by a mini-concert performed by the band on the main stage.
Meanwhile, the Grand Ole Opry has agreed to invite the 2022 Grand Fiddle Off Champion to play a ‘fiddle tune’ for the Opry square dancers live performance during a selected show. (TBD)
Preliminaries will be held in the following categories on Friday, July 1:
Old Time Appalachian Folksinging (Solo); Junior Clogging (ages 13-39); Junior Buck Dancing (ages 13-39); Old-Time Appalachian Folksinging (Duet, Trio, Quartet); Dobro Guitar; Mountain Dulcimer; Hammer Dulcimer; Novelty Event (Spoon Clacking, Jug Blowing, Washboard, Tub, Saws-Appalachian); Autoharp, Gospel Singing (Solo); Country Harmonica; Old Time Banjo; Youth Square Dancing (4 Couples-8 Total Dancers); Gospel Singing (Duet,Trio, and Quartet); Mandolin; and Old Time Fiddle Band.
The top three acts in each category will be called back for the finals on Friday night and a first, second, and third place will be awarded.
On Saturday, July 2, preliminaries will be held in the following categories:
Junior Old Time Appalachian Flatfoot dance (ages up to 39); Senior Old Time Appalachian Flatfoot dance (ages 40 and over); Senior Buckdancing (ages 40 and over); Senior Clogging (ages 40 and over); Bluegrass Banjo; Junior Fiddlers (ages 13-39); Flat Top Guitar; Contest Fiddle for the Neil Dudney Award; Bluegrass Band; Senior Fiddlers (ages 40 and over); and Square Dancing (4 Couples-8 Total Dancers).
Preliminaries will be held in each event and then the top three finalists will be called back Saturday night to compete for first, second, and third place.
The winners of the Junior and Senior Fiddling competition will square off for the Grand Champion Award, the Berry C. Williams Memorial Trophy at the conclusion of the festival.
Meanwhile, the National Championship for Country Musician Beginners will be held Saturday afternoon, July 2 during the Jamboree featuring competitions for children, up to age twelve, in the categories of Buck Dancing, Clogging, Dobro Guitar, Mandolin, Five String Banjo, Flat Top Guitar, and Fiddle.
Preliminaries will be held in each event and then the top three finalists will be brought back to compete for first, second, and third place.
One child will receive the Best Overall Instrumental Entertainer Trophy Award and the top fiddler will get the James G. “Bobo” Driver Memorial Trophy.
WJLE will broadcast most of the on-stage entertainment LIVE on AM 1480/ FM 101.7 and LIVE Streaming at www.wjle.com.
For more information on the festival, go to www.fiddlersjamboree.com