July 1, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
Visitors from places near and far are in town this weekend for the 52nd Annual Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival and a few of them were recognized with special honors during Friday night’s welcoming ceremony.
(View scenes from Fiddlers Jamboree by clicking link below)
https://www.wjle.com/fiddlers-jamboree/
After the introductions of several local public officials and community leaders, Congressman John Rose, State Senator Janice Bowling, and State Representative Michael Hale presented flags to persons who came from the longest distances to get here.
Congressman Rose and his family greeted the family of Jeremy Bell of Australia who recently moved here and acquired a business. State Senator Bowling presented a flag to Sue Conger, formerly of Smithville, who now lives in Camas, Washington while State Representative Hale had a flag for Elise Fleming of Memphis.
The opening ceremony at 6 p.m. began with a prayer by Jonathan Anderson of the Smithville Church of Christ and a performance of the National Anthem by Emily Phillips as two members of the Smithville Fire Department posted colors.
The Smithville Community Chorus later took the stage delivering a stirring patriotic performance and a tribute to blue grass. Near the end of the show, Faye Fuqua, who founded and has led the chorus since the 1970s was honored by the Jamboree Board. Fuqua’s daughter Kim Luton, President of the Fiddlers Jamboree presented her mother a plaque in appreciation.
Zeb Ross and the J. Creek Band, a star attraction of the evening, followed the chorus and was to be the last act before the finals competition, when the storms came and forced cancellation of the evening’s lineup.
The morning began shortly after 9 a.m. Friday with welcoming remarks by Luton, an opening prayer by minister Terry Little of the Smithville First United Methodist Church, and a performance of the National Anthem by Sarah Cripps. The preliminaries in each of the sixteen categories of music and dance competition then followed and were completed before the welcoming ceremonies at 6 p.m.
For more about the Fiddlers’ Jamboree including the weekend events from the festival click the links below