See some of the country's finest fiddler's at the...
By Paul Monacelli
HTF Contributor
COTTON - The Town of Cotton will once again host the Minnesota State Old Time Fiddle Championship and Festival on August 6th and 7th. In its 29th year, it is considered one of the premier fiddle contests in the country and will bring people of all ages to Cotton to experience some of the finest fiddling you can find anywhere.
At 4:30 p.m. on Friday there will be a dinner at the Cotton School on highway 53 hosted by the Parent Teacher Student Organization. The fiddle competition begins at 7 p.m. at the Cotton School with the contest eliminations. Each contestant will have a chance to play three songs and will be scored by a panel of three judges. Their score and ranking determines whether they will be able to continue in the competition and perform again Saturday evening.
The festival starts Saturday morning with a pancake breakfast at the Cotton Community Church at 7:30 a.m. It is followed by a canoe, shoe and bike race at 9 a.m. and a fiddle workshop at 9:30 a.m. The festival continues at the Community Center from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. where you will find food, arts, crafts, and a volleyball tournament. There will also be entertainment throughout the day where you will get a chance to listen to music by fiddlers and other musicians.
The Fish Heads, a band from Duluth, will play their eclectic style of folk music at 10 p.m.
The festivities continue at the Cotton School with a dinner at 4 p.m. provided by the Senior Class. The contest finals begin at 6 p.m. where the top fiddlers from Friday night will compete. By the end of the evening there will be 6 champions recognized in 6 divisions including the Minnesota State Old Time Fiddle Champion in the championship division. Cash prizes totaling $2,525 and trophies will be awarded.
The coordinators of this
event have been told many times by contest participants that the Minnesota State Old Time Fiddle Championship is one of the best organized contests in the country and compare itxxxxxx to the national championships held in Weiser, Idaho. If you haven’t had a chance to attend the Minnesota State Old Time Fiddle Championship and Festival now is the time to do so. It will promise to be an enjoyable experience.
For more information call 218-482- 5592, 218-482-3303 or visit the website at www.cottontownhip.org.
Photos by Pam Frye (snapsbypam.com).
