Periodic showers including some heavy downpours Friday night wouldn’t stop the Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival.
The first day of the 42nd annual event, which began Friday morning before 10:00 a.m. ended this morning (Saturday)around 2:15 a.m.
With rains forecast, Jamboree officials placed a tent on the stage before the event started Friday morning just in case, so that contestants could perform in the dry and the sound equipment could be better protected.
Showers held off for most the day but as darkness set in so did the rains. Some of the showers were heavy at times, but the music never stopped. The weather did affect one category. Because the late night downpours made part of the stage wet and possibly slippery, the top three teams in the Youth Square Dancing event decided not to compete in the finals and to let their scores from the preliminaries earlier in the day determine how they placed. As a result, Main Stage Explosion of Springfield was awarded first place. Main Stage Fusion of Springfield took second place and Jackson Hollow of Franklin received third place.
The Fiddlers Jamboree is scheduled to resume today (Saturday) at 9:00 a.m.
Meanwhile a woman from the Philippines, Elena Muralla received a United States flag while Michael Mishina of Seattle Washington and James Hayes of Memphis were presented a Tennessee State flag during the Fiddler’s Jamboree on Friday evening.
The flags, which have flown over the state capitol, go to the persons who travel the greatest distances from within the state of Tennessee and from inside and outside the country, to get here.
The flags were presented by State Senator Mae Beavers and State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver and Mark Pody.
Following a Jamboree welcome and introduction of local public officials, the Smithville-DeKalb County Community Chorus entertained the crowd.
Preliminaries were held in seventeen categories of music and dance competition followed by the finals featuring the top three acts in each event.
The following are the winners in each category:
Old Time Appalachian Folk Singing (Solo):
First Place- Sierra Tomlin of Springfield
Second Place-Kelcy Tomlin of Springfield
Third Place-Jennie Coppinger of McMinnville
Flat Top Guitar:
First Place-John Boulware of Kimball, Tennessee
Second Place-Rob Pearcy of Smyrna
Third Place-Tyler Seller of Goodlettsville
Junior Clogging (Ages 13-39):
First Place-Gary Giles of Franklin
Second Place-Chris Stewart of Lebanon
Third Place-Amanda Herron of Cookeville
Junior Buck Dancing (Ages 13-39):
First Place- Kody Hash of Knoxville
Second Place-Chris Stewart of Lebanon
Third Place-Jamie Franklin of Knoxville
Old Time Appalachian Folksinging (Duet, Trio, Quartet)- NEW CATEGORY
First Place- Kurt and Corrina of Dyersburg
Second Place- Sierra and Kelcy Tomlin of Springfield
Third Place- Megan and Courtney Williams of Unionville
Dobro Guitar:
First Place-Rob Pearcy of Smyrna
Second Place-Frannie Digiovanni of Greenbrier
Third Place-Weston Stewart of Anderson, Alabama
Mountain Dulcimer:
First Place-Rob Pearcy of Smyrna
Second Place-Kurt Stephenson of Dyersburg
Third Place-Daniel Amick of Pleasantville
Hammer Dulcimer:
First Place-Beth James of Newport (ONLY CONTESTANT)
Novelty Event:
First Place-Jaelee Roberts of Murfreesboro
Second Place-Haint Hollow Hootenanny of Unionville
Third Place-Hillary Bevels of Shelbyville
Youth Square Dancing:
First Place-Main Stage Explosion of Springfield
Second Place- Main Stage Fusion of Springfield
Third Place- Jackson Hollow of Franklin
Old Time Fiddle Band:
First Place-Slim Chance of Smyrna
Second Place- Uncle Shuffelo and his Haint Hollow Hootenanny of Unionville
Third Place- The Hogslop String Band of Nashville
Autoharp:
First Place- Kurt Stephenson of Dyersburg
Second Place-Bill Rothe of Estill Springs
Third Place-Pamela Sanders of Sparta
Gospel Singing (Solo):
First Place-Sierra Tomlin of Springfield
Second Place-Jaelee Roberts of Murfreesboro
Third Place-Samantha Lewis of Smithville
Country Harmonica:
First Place-Tyler Mad Dog Martelli of Chattanooga
Second Place- Daniel Amick of Pleasantville
Third Place- Rob Pearcy of Smyrna
Old Time Banjo:
First Place- Daniel Binkley of Nashville
Second Place- Rebekah Weiler of Marietta, Georgia
Third Place- Daniel Rothwell of Smyrna
Gospel Singing (Duet, Trio, & Quartet):
First Place- Kurt and Corinna of Dyersburg
Second Place- Jaelee and Andrea Roberts of Murfreesboro
Third Place- Sierra & Kelcy Tomlin of Springfield.
Mandolin:
First Place-Daniel Amick of Pleasantville
Second Place- Tyler Andal of Whitehouse
Third Place- John Boulware of Kimball
The Fiddler’s Jamboree resumes at 9:00 a.m. today with preliminaries in the following categories:
Junior Fiddlers (ages 13-39); Junior Old Time Appalachian Flatfoot dance (ages up to 39); Senior Old Time Appalachian Flatfoot dance ( ages 40 and over); Senior Buckdancing (ages 40 and over); Senior Clogging (ages 40 and over); Bluegrass Banjo; Bluegrass Band; Bluegrass Fiddle, Senior Fiddlers (ages 40 and over); and Square Dancing. The winner of the Bluegrass Fiddle will receive the Neil Dudney Award, named for the former longtime President and Coordinator of the Fiddlers Jamboree.
Preliminaries will be held in each event and then the top three finalists will be called back tonight to compete for first, second, and third place.
The winners of the Junior and Senior Fiddling competition will square off for the Grand Champion Award, the Berry C. Williams Memorial Trophy at the conclusion of the festival.
Meanwhile, the National Championship for Country Musician Beginners will be held this afternoon during the Jamboree featuring competitions for children, up to age twelve, in the categories of Buck Dancing, Clogging, Dobro Guitar, Mandolin, Five String Banjo, Flat Top Guitar, and Fiddle.
Preliminaries will be held in each event and then the top three finalists will be brought back to compete for first, second, and third place.
One child will receive the Best Overall Instrumental Entertainer and the top fiddler will get the James G. “Bobo” Driver Memorial Trophy.
WJLE will broadcast the on-stage entertainment LIVE on AM 1480/ FM 101.7 and LIVE streaming at www.wjle.com.
In addition to music and dancing competitions onstage, the Fiddlers Jamboree also features dozens of crafts displayed along the downtown streets, plenty of delicious foods for sale at local food booths, and lots of shade tree picking under tents around the town square.
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