The small town of Smithville will become one of the bigger towns in the Midstate this weekend as it celebrates the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival for the 45th year.
The annual event, which attracts spectators from far and wide, will be held in Smithville Town Square on Friday and Saturday. For those who can’t wait for the pickin’ and grinnin’ to begin, there will be a concert offered in downtown Smithville on Thursday evening at the open-air stage of Joe L. and Ann S. Evins Park across from the post office. Picking Friends will go onstage at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Since its beginning in 1972, the old-time Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree and Crafts Festival has grown into a major event, drawing hundreds of musicians and crafts people, as well as many thousands of spectators from throughout the world.
The festival began as a small-town event, as a way to celebrate Independence Day, just as generations before had done on the Town Square. It continues that tradition today – a throwback to days gone by – paying homage to the music and art of our ancestors, reminding us of the simple pleasures to be had from gathering together and enjoying the pure, unadulterated sound of live Appalachian music.
The festival officially begins at 9 a.m., July 1-2 each day and continues until the final competition has been awarded. With over 35 music and dance categories, streets full of handmade crafts, and over a dozen food booths, organizers say there is something for everyone at the Jamboree.
The contests are constant throughout the two-day festival, culminating with the national championship and the Junior and Senior Fiddle-Off for the grand championship and the coveted Berry C. Williams Memorial Trophy. The competitions during the two-day event include, but aren’t limited to, clogging, buck dancing, folk singing, dulcimer, gospel singing, harmonica, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and square dancing.
Registration to enter the events begins at 8 a.m. both days and cuts off 15 minutes before the event begins. There are cash prizes for the winners.