Will Canadian Open Fiddle Championship celebrate 70th year?

March 26, 2020 · 0 Comments

Written By MARNI WALSH

With social distancing upon the community, service clubs like the Shelburne Rotary Club are faced with the very real possibility that events, like the Heritage Music Festival and Fiddle Championship, may need to be cancelled in 2020.

However, Shelburne’s many volunteers for the internationally recognized Championship know that such an event takes months of careful planning. The organizational work must continue, at least in part, and albeit at a safe distance, in order to bring the event to life when the COVID-19 crisis clears.

The Old Time Canadian Open Fiddle Championship was scheduled to celebrate its 70th Anniversary from Aug. 6 to 9 this year.

“Plans are still made, but of course in the light of the current situation we will make a decision closer to May 1st,” Heritage Music Festival Co-Chair, Bobbi Ferguson told the Free Press. “This is when our line up is scheduled to be announced, and at that time, we will decide to move forward, postpone, or move the Festival to 2021.”

Thus, plans for the 70th Canadian Open Fiddle Championship are well underway with promises of a great roster of musical talent at the signature event. The annual competition, which was started by the Shelburne Rotary Club in 1950 to help raise funds for their various charities, has evolved over the years to ensure the continued support of organizations both locally and across the country.

As a featured event of the Heritage Music Festival, the Fiddle Championship is open to all ages and abilities. This year, Rotary members had planned to add a special fiddle class to celebrate their milestone 70th anniversary. The celebratory class would feature fiddler’s 70 years and over.

“We are in full swing for a great line up of musical entertainment for the Festival” says Bobbi Ferguson. This year, organizers had decided to switch the Thursday night show to a Sunday matinee, after the Pork Chop BBQ. “Instead, we would kick off the celebrations on Thursday night with Greg Holmes and the Country Jamboree and Dance,” says Ms. Ferguson.

“We would keep the party going with an After Party Dance on Friday evening, after the headliner, with a DJ,” she added. “There would be a full day of fiddling on Saturday with the Fiddle Championship, and Bands & Brews in Fiddle Park. This would all be followed the next day with the first ever Sunday Matinee Show.”

Ms. Ferguson says, should plans go ahead, “there is some exciting news to come with Bands and Brews and events at Fiddle Park as well,” but organizers are still waiting on a few confirmations before they can divulge their plans. Whatever date the Festival is cleared to go ahead, note that the Rotary Club will be seeking volunteers to help with some special promotion for the 70th anniversary. Contact bobbiferguson@xplornet.com for more information.

“I am so happy and excited about what we have in store for our 70th year,” says Bobbi Ferguson, “and, if all our plans come to fruition, I see great things for 2020 and for another 70 years.”