2018 Fiddler’s Convention Recap

Bill Jones, 53nd Fiddle ChampThe 52nd annual Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention was held at Athens State University from October 4-6 with a record crowd of over 10,000 people attending the festivities.

Bill Jones, from Covington, Georgia, was named “Alabama State Fiddle Champion” after winning the “Fiddle Off,” the competition that pits top fiddlers from the junior, intermediate, and senior divisions. Tyler Andal from Nashville, Tennessee finished second, and Mark Ralph from Whitesville, Kentucky rounded out the top three.

The next Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention is scheduled for October 3-5, 2019. In addition to the annual competitions, the 2019 musical entertainment lineup includes concerts by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder on Friday, October 4 at 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.tvotfc.org.

The 2018 Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention was presented by Huntsville International Airport, with stage sponsorships by Alabama Farmers Cooperative and Aetos Systems, Inc. Other sponsors included the Athens State University Foundation and the Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce. The Convention contributes to Athens State by funding student scholarships and University projects.

This project was made possible in part by a grant from the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area, Alabama State Council on the Arts, and Alabama Department of Tourism.