There is never a dull moment inside the confines of Rocky Fork State Park in Unicoi County.
The public is invited to take part in a first-ever of sorts in Northeast Tennessee this week as the park is hosting the inaugural Upper East Tennessee Fiddler’s Convention on Saturday, April 29, beginning at noon at the Old Flag Pond Elementary School. The cost for the event is $10 for the all-day experience. Attendees can pay an additional $10 to camp in the area.
Seeing a need, Rocky Fork Park Ranger Tim Pharis saw an opportunity to highlight the musical heritage in Upper East Tennessee.
“What really got the idea for this event going was the lack of fiddler’s conventions locally,” he said. “They are in North Carolina, Southwest Virginia, but you don’t really see much of a presence locally. There’s such a regional style, and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to highlight the music scene of the region.
Pharis joined with Roy Andrade of East Tennessee State University to get the project off the ground. ETSU, Friend of Rocky Fork State Park and the Flag Pond Ruritan groups, were the partner organizations to make the event possible, Park Manager Jesse Germeraad added.
According to the event’s website, “The Upper East Tennessee Fiddler’s Convention celebrates not only the early influential musicians who made recordings (JD Harris, Osey Helton, John Dykes, George and Lloyd Payne, Dud Vance, GB Grayson, Charlie Bowman, and many others), but also the those who played informally, for the love of music and fellowship with one another.”
A special CD of Harris music will be available at the site, along with $3000 worth cash prize opportunities for different performances.
The scheduled for the day is:
• Noon – Contest Registration
• 1 to 5 p.m. – Musical Contests
• 6 to 7 p.m. – Supper
• 8 p.m. – Concert/Special Presentation
• 9 p.m. – Final (if necessary) and Awards
• 9:30 p.m. – Square Dance (Phil Jamison caller)
For more information, visit http://otfiddlersconvention.com/#home online or the Rocky Fork State Park Facebook page online.