Let the Fiddlin' Begin
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Nick Smirnoff (NPPA)
The fiddlers of Tehachapi, Bakersfield, Ridgecrest, Fresno, and surrounding areas will be competing this year at the 40th Annual "Fiddlin' Down the Tracks" Fiddle Contest on Sept.16 and 17, 2016. The event will be held at Country Oaks Baptist Church, 20915 Schout Road, in Tehachapi. Starting at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, for the Senior-Senior and Senior Divisions and at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17, for all remaining age and other divisions (twin fiddle, picking, novelty, etc), contestants will need to register for their chance to hopefully take their position in the First Place spot. This fiddle contest is open to all ages and helps promote music and arts.
Fiddlers from around the area come to try their skill, and with a little luck, go home with a trophy. Those who win their respective division will compete against each other to be the contests' Grand Champion. The Grand Champion will also be certified by the California State Old-Time Fiddlers Association (CSOTFA) District 3, to be able to compete in the National Fiddle Contest in Weiser, Idaho.
Last year's contest brought a little over 100 fiddlers out to play and the audiences were treated to some great toe-tappin' music. As always, spectator admission is still FREE! Where else can you get great music and good clean family fun with no admission price?!
The "Fiddlin' Down the Tracks" Fiddle Contest is sponsored by District 3 of the California State Old-Time Fiddlers Association and serves to promote and preserve old time fiddling as part of our country's heritage. Fiddlers compete by age categories for prizes, and there is a picking contest for guitar, banjo, and mandolin players as well.
The Annual "Fiddlin' Down the Tracks" Fiddle Contest draws fiddlers of all ages, from all over California as well as other states. This year's tribute will be to the great fiddler, Johnny Gimble. This years judges are Stacey Snodgrass from Hanford, Hughie Smith from Bakersfield, and Willie Randle from San Diego!
The CSOTFA is a non-profit organization and operates on the support of donations from the community. Please visit us at http://www.tehachapifiddlers.org for more information about the contests held, how to make donations, become a member, and other information about the CSOTFA. You can also contact the Contest Chairman, Steve Andersen at (661) 750-2811 or email csotfa3.fiddlecontest@gmail.com.
