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Fiddle Festival Returns to Downtown Branson

By Kathryn Buckstaff
Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce (June 5, 2008)

The 20th Annual Downtown Branson Fiddle Festival (taking place on August 23) promises to be an exciting event with new features including a celebrity pie contest and—for the first time—free admission to all performances.

The music begins at 10 a.m. and will continue into the evening. The contestants and performers will be playing the various styles of traditional music that early settlers brought with them to the Ozarks.

This year, there will be performances throughout the day on street corners in historic downtown Branson along with sidewalk sales and traditional Main Street shopping.

Just down the street, Branson Landing’s Town Square will be the site for the competition, returning the contest to its longtime home on the banks of Lake Taneycomo.

In addition to contestants from around the country, there will be guest appearances by some of Branson’s best performers including some who competed as youngsters in earlier Branson fiddle contests.

The new celebrity pie contest will bring out some of the finest cooks among Branson’s celebrities. Mayor Raeanne Presley and Dee Dee Lennon of the Lennon Sisters have already signed on.

Downtown restaurant owners will judge the pies.

For the first time, this will be a free festival, thanks to the many generous sponsors.

The fiddle festival is an important tradition in Branson, said Steve Hartley, owner of Dick’s 5 & 10 in downtown Branson.

“It honors the area’s heritage, and is enjoyed by residents and visitors alike,” Hartley said. “When people think of Branson, they think of these kinds of events, the down-homey type of thing. Many places have lost that.”

“People call from all over, but mostly from out in the rural areas within about 100 miles of here,” Mary Jane Rice of the Branson Chamber of Commerce said.

“A lot of folks just like to get out and play and meet up with people who have a common interest in playing the fiddle. And the competition for young people coming up is a big part of it.”

Marc Williams, one of the owners of Branson Landing, said he’s pleased that Branson Landing will be a part of the Fiddle Festival.

“The Fiddle Festival is that Ozarks’ Americana that’s part of our heritage,” Williams said.

Competition will be in five divisions: ages nine and younger, age 10 through 16, age 60 and older, an open category for any age and the new “cross tuning” category.

Cross tuning refers to a way of tuning the fiddle that allows it to mimic the drone of the bagpipe, a style of playing once very popular at the old-time dances.

Fiddles were carried by early settlers because they were easily portable yet were quite loud and suited for dance music.

More than $4,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded.

The Fiddle Festival is being presented through the cooperation of organizations including the Downtown Branson Main Street Association, the Historic Downtown Branson Business Owners, the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, Branson Landing and the City of Branson.

Above, the giant fiddle which graces Grand Country Music Hall. 06/08/08 Photo Credit: J. Heston

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...in partnership with the Branson Chamber of Commerce — I'm so pleased to have a partnership with the Branson Chamber of Commerce and here's why:

StateoftheOzarks is more than a dusty archive and proof of that is this partnership. There will be many more topical articles such as the one at left, each one working to bring you up to date on what's happening in Branson.

The City of Branson has accomplished the impossible. With a municipal population of less than 8,000, you do realize it's impossible to attract 8 million visitors a year, don't you?

Well, nobody told Branson, because that's exactly what happens.

And despite those numbers, the water is clean, the air smog-free and the people extraordinarily friendly in that unpretentious sort of way that helps you realize they really mean it (and not that they're just hoping you'll buy something).

Branson truly is a beautiful, fun place to visit. And if you haven't been there before, I recommend you make plans soon. The people will, as Louis Darby said, "just hold you in their hearts for a long time."

For specific information, visit (www) Explore Branson (.com).

— Joshua Heston

GREAT quotes from GREAT fiddle players!

(LOUIS DARBY)

Missouri has an interesting diversity of music. Even to this day, you will find French-speaking people up around St. Louis. They play French-culture music and Cajun music. The funny thing is it has more of the Old World flavor than the Louisiana Cajun music.
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(GREG BAILEY)

I didn't start playing fiddle until I was about 20. Part of it was because of my heritage and I had my great grandfather's fiddle. Playing the fiddle and living in this area I got to know a guy named Bob Walsh, who was recognized by the University of Missouri as a one of the masters of old-time fiddle and it had been handed down in his family.
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(JAMIE HAAGE)

"My first instrument was actually an old banjo that dad found somewhere. I still have it. But I was too little at the time to hold it up like you're supposed to so I played it with a butter knife — like a steel guitar.
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