March 16, 2021
By:
The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree Board and 50th Anniversary Planning Committee is making plans to publish and release a commemorative book featuring “50 Years of the Jamboree” in honor of the 50th Anniversary Celebration coming July 2-3, 2021 to the historical Smithville Public Square. This limited edition book will include highlights and history, along with behind the scenes documents, photos and letters giving readers a behind the scenes look at the early beginnings of the festival. In addition, past champions, emcees, and significant figures from the past will give a glimpse into their experiences throughout the years.
“This will be a treasure to anyone that has been a long-time fan of the Jamboree. We hope to give our community the first opportunity to reserve their copy in advance, before the limited quantities are released to the general public,” said Sam Stout, President & Coordinator of the Jamboree, “This is a project that we are very excited about, as we have not had a commemorative book of any kind available for many years. We are glad to capture this piece of history, and grateful to board member Carol Williams for taking the first steps to make this project possible; along with the family of James G. Bobo Driver (a founding father of the Jamboree) by providing a donation to help with research and design. In addition to the book, we are also considering the release of a 50th Anniversary collectible pocket knife to remember this special year in the Jamboree’s history. We will have more information on our Jamboree website page as ordering details are released.”
“When I let my family know of the possibility of a commemorative book of Jamboree history, they immediately wanted to support the project,” said Kim Driver-Luton, board member and founding family of James G. Bobo Driver, “Thanks to the Driver Family, funds for research are now in place to make this book a reality, and we hope to honor those who came before us to create this beautiful legacy in a festival that we get to enjoy year after year.”
The Jamboree Board is asking the community for help. We are asking for all historical photos that anyone might have, that could be considered for the book, to be emailed to: SmithvilleJamboree@gmail.com. Please include names/dates/description of each photo (.jpeg file) if available along with your name and phone number. In addition, if anyone has a past year’s souvenir book – especially 1972-1980 – or any unusual items to contribute, the Jamboree would like to borrow these items for use in the project. Please drop off any items to the Smithville-DeKalb Chamber of Commerce in the DeKalb County Complex Building on South Congress Blvd.
If you would like to join the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee, or for more information, email smithvillejamboree@gmail.com or contact the Jamboree office at 615-597-8500.