Old Time Fiddle & Banjo Championships and feature concert returns August 8 to the Ozark Folk Center

Mountain View, AR — The Arkansas State Old Time Fiddle & Banjo Championships returns to the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View on Saturday, August 8. Admission to the park’s 1,000-seat indoor music venue, Ozark Highlands Theater, is free from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 1-5:30 p.m. 

The event is sponsored by Old Time Ozark Traditions and the Committee of One Hundred a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping old time music, dance, craft and culture of the Ozarks alive since 2012. Banjo players of all ages from across the region will compete in the morning and fiddlers will compete in the afternoon. The Skillet Restaurant, located on-site, will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. serving meals to guests and participants during the all-day event.

In the evening, the park will host its annual Fiddle & Banjo Music Show from 7 to 9 p.m. This year’s featured performers include fiddle and banjo virtuosos John Showman and Chris Coole. The Ozark Folk Center Square Dancers will open the show at 7 p.m. with an old-time square dance.

Tickets to the evening show are $8 for children (6-12), $15 for adults, or $35 for a family pass which includes admission for two adults and children under 18. Season Passes are honored at this event. For more information, or to reserve tickets to the show, visit Tickets.OzarkFolkCenter.com. Day-of tickets to the evening concert cost $2 more.

Musicians wishing to compete in the contest must register in the lobby of Ozark Highlands Theater on August 9. There is no online or advance registration for the fiddle or banjo contests. Doors will open for registration at 9 a.m. and the fee is $10 cash. Contestants will receive free admission to the evening Fiddle & Banjo Music Show.

The Ozark Folk Center Craft Village will be open during the event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for live music performances, old time magic and medicine shows, and old-fashioned fun. Village artisans will be creating items, demonstrating their craft, and selling handcrafted goods. Village shops include: Copper Flame Painting, Knives, Pottery, Stained Glass, Leather, Wood Toys, Fiber Arts, Wood Carving, Magic, Old Time Printing Press, Candles, Quilting, Herbs, Jewelry, Paper Craft, Dolls, Brooms, Blacksmithing, and Apothecary.

If you need a place to stay, The Cabins at Dry Creek located on-site offer a blend of homespun decor, modern comforts, and an outdoor swimming pool May through September. Rooms are located near the Skillet Restaurant and Craft Village, and a shuttle service is provided for cabin guests who wish to attend events at Ozark Highlands Theater. To book a room visit OzarkFolkCenter.com.

Through twenty years and a couple of thousand shows together in bands such as The Foggy Hogtown Boys and The Lonesome Ace Stringband, John Showman and Chris Coole have developed a deep and instinctual musical bond. Their music lurks in a truly unique space that is somewhere on the outskirts of old-time, bluegrass, and folk. The songs of John Hartford, Hank Williams, Dock Boggs, and The Band share space with the fiddle tunes of Eck Robertson and Ed Haley. The duo’s original songs and tunes take in all these vistas and paint something both personal and timely.

They have performed across North America and Europe at festivals such as Merlefest, Rockygrass, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Mariposa, Wintergrass, Gooikoorts, and The John Hartford Memorial Festival. In 2022, the duo released two albums; “Afield” a collection of old-time fiddle tunes, and “Much Further Out than Inevitable – A Tribute to Some Music of John Hartford.”

“John Showman has made his mark as “one of the very best and most influential fiddle players in Canada” (Steve Pritchard, CIUT 89.5 FM).

“Renowned for his clawhammer banjo picking, Coole now establishes himself as a gripping songwriter.” (Roddy Campbell, Penguin Eggs Magazine)"