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Local “Elvis” added to Shelburne’s fiddle week

August 3, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Marni Walsh

The Heritage Music Festival’s fiddle contest comes to Shelburne next week, as it has for more than six decades.

The Canadian Open Old Time Fiddle Championship begins playoffs on Friday, August 11th, starting at 10 a.m. at the Centre Dufferin Recreation Centre.  In addition to headlining entertainers, the Festival will feature local talent, including Shelburne’s own award-winning Elvis Tribute Artist Dustin Bricker.

Heritage Music Festival (HMF) Co-Chair Bobbi Ferguson says, “Although, the Fiddle Contest is the heart of the festival, the time had come to offer entertainment of many different genres to ensure Festival longevity.

“In our efforts to engage locals in the Festival, it is extremely important to feature home-grown artists. Dustin, having recently won first place in the non-professional class at the Collingwood Elvis Festival, adds an even more exciting element to our Saturday afternoon show.”

The Co-Chair added, “The HMF committee wanted to offer a line-up of entertainment that would please everyone. Elvis is a crowd pleaser – simple, but thoughtful music that transports us to a happy place and always brings a smile. Dustin is ‘Elvis’ reincarnate and he’s all ours!”

Dustin Bricker a.k.a. “Elvis” will be “in the building” after the Fiddle Parade at the Centre Dufferin Recreation Complex on August 12th, starting around 3 p.m. “Supporting youth will hopefully encourage a younger audience to the Heritage Music Festival as we endeavor to please those of all ages,” said Ms. Ferguson.

The fiddle contest started out in 1951 as a Shelburne Rotary Club fundraiser to support the charitable works in the area.

According to the Club, “The main debate seemed to be around the fact that at that time in Dufferin County everybody could hear the fiddle played for free at home, so why would they pay to hear someone play at the arena? Despite these doubts, the first contest went ahead and was a resounding success.” The popularity of the contest put Shelburne in the musical history books and it was, henceforth, fondly known as “Fiddle Town.”

Rotarians say, “The essential elements of the contest have remained unchanged since the first fiddler stepped onto the stage. The playdowns still happen on Friday, although they now start in the morning so that they are finished in time for a concert on Friday night.” This year’s headline entertainer will be award-winning, Albertan-born Country singer Corb Lund.

Friday and Saturday night focus on the fiddle championships, but the Rotarians say “events surrounding the contest have expanded over the years” to include more concerts, a barn dance and jamboree, jam sessions, and an open air market, as well as the fiddle parade, non-denominational church service, and a pork BBQ to finish off the week’s events.

Beginning August 11th and 12th at 10 a.m., the fiddling competition will include nine classes in the following order:

•  years old and under

• 0-12 years old

• 6 years old and over

• 8 years old and under (Junior Championship)

• ovelty, including trick fiddle routines

• uets

• hampionship Class

• 9 to 55 years old

• ospel

This year’s contest judges include fiddlers Karen Reed, Matthew Johnson and Tyler Beckett with the fabulous Scott Woods as the Master of Ceremonies.

The Fiddle Contest finals will be on Saturday night with entertainment by “The Barrel Boys.”

“One thing we have to remember is that we do this all for charity,” said Kerstin Stinson, Rotary Club Past President. “Many local organizations have benefited from the money raised from the Heritage Music Festival/Fiddle Contest. Not only do we want to continue to support local sports teams, breakfast clubs, the food bank, Music&Memory and the Headwaters Health Care Centre, to name only a few, we are spearheading the fundraising for a splash pad in Shelburne.”

Tickets are available at Holmes Appliance and Music Shop, 135 Main St. W., Shelburne 519-925-3037 or online at www.heritagemusicfestival.com

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