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Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention
One year after celebrating a remarkable 100-year milestone, the Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention is ready to strike up the music once again—this time beginning its second century.
The historic convention returns Friday and Saturday, October 2–3, 2026, to Heritage Hall Square in downtown Mountain City, Tennessee, for two days of old-time and bluegrass music, spirited competition, food, fellowship, and family-friendly entertainment.
Admission is free for spectators.
Presented by The Kody Norris Show, this year’s convention will feature six live performances by Denim & Plaid, The Kody Norris Show, Lonesome River Band, Remedy Tree, Carson Peters and the legendary Riders in the Sky. Saturday’s competition will bring together youth and adult musicians competing for more than $12,000 in cash and prizes—including a custom Jason Barie fiddle valued at approximately $5,000 for the Grand Champion of the Fiddle Off.
It is a fitting beginning to the next chapter of a gathering that helped shape the sound of American roots music.
Where Old-Time Music Found Its Voice
The story of the Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention began in May 1925, when musicians gathered in this small Appalachian town for what would become one of the most influential musical events in the region’s history.
Among the performers associated with that first convention were “Fiddlin’ John” Carson, Charlie Bowman, Dudley “Fiddlin’ Dud” Vance, G.B. Grayson and Clarence Ashley—pioneering musicians whose work would influence generations of old-time, country, bluegrass and Americana artists.
The music performed in Mountain City traveled far beyond Johnson County through recordings made by those early musicians. Music historians now recognize the original gathering as one of the formative events that helped bring the distinctive sounds of East Tennessee and Appalachia to audiences around the world.
For decades, the Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention remained a treasured community tradition—a place where musicians could share tunes, exchange stories, and compete for prizes while helping preserve the mountain styles passed from one generation to the next.
The Mountain City Rotary Club, Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, Doug and Jackie Warden, and many others helped keep that tradition alive through the years. The Wardens hosted the convention at Old Mill Music Park in Laurel Bloomery until the event entered a three-year hiatus during the pandemic.
In 2023, Mountain City native Kody Norris and The Kody Norris Show took the lead in reviving the convention and carrying its legacy forward. Known nationally for high-energy performances, vintage style, and a deep respect for traditional mountain music, the award-winning group has helped introduce the convention—and the musical heritage of Norris’ hometown—to new audiences.
The convention reached another milestone in 2024 when Timon Veelenturf of the Netherlands became its first international Grand Champion Fiddle winner.
Then, in 2025, musicians, residents and visitors gathered for the convention’s centennial celebration, honoring the artists who started it all while celebrating the musicians carrying the tradition into the future.
The music now continues into a second century in the place where old-time music found its voice.
Friday Night Concerts
The convention opens Friday, October 2, with three live performances:
6 p.m. — Denim & Plaid
7 p.m. — The Kody Norris Show
8 p.m. — Lonesome River Band
Friday evening will offer audiences a full night of bluegrass and traditional music, from emerging regional talent to nationally recognized performers.
Saturday Competitions and Performances
Registration for Saturday’s competitions will open in person at 8 a.m. inside Heritage Hall Theatre.
The Youth Contest begins at 10 a.m., followed by the Adult Contest at 1 p.m. Competitors should be registered, warmed up and ready to perform at least 15 minutes before the beginning of their category.
Saturday’s schedule includes:
10 a.m. — Youth Contest
1 p.m. — Adult Contest
5:30 p.m. — Remedy Tree
6:30 p.m. — Carson Peters
7:30 p.m. — Riders in the Sky
8 p.m. — Awards
Competitors may enter individual instrument and performance categories, with the day culminating in the prestigious Fiddle Off and the naming of the 2026 Grand Champion Fiddle winner.
The entry fee is $15 per person, per category, payable by cash or card. Competitors may enter multiple categories, with a separate registration fee required for each one.
Individual contestants will perform two selections and may be accompanied by no more than two rhythm instruments. Bands must include between four and six registered contestants and will perform one instrumental selection and one vocal selection. Traditional song selections are required, and electric instruments, wind instruments, and percussion are not permitted.
Complete competition categories, prize information and official rules are available at MountainCityFC.com.
More Than $12,000 in Cash and Prizes
Musicians will compete for more than $12,000 in cash and prizes during the 2026 convention.
At the center of this year’s prize package is a custom Jason Barie fiddle valued at approximately $5,000. The instrument will be awarded to the Grand Champion of the Fiddle Off, one of the convention’s most prestigious and anticipated competitions.
The Fiddle Off brings together the top finalists from the youth and adult fiddle competitions. Each finalist will perform one tune of choice for the opportunity to be named Grand Champion and take home the custom fiddle.
The competition continues the convention’s longstanding commitment to recognizing talented musicians while encouraging younger generations to learn, perform, and preserve traditional Appalachian music.
Plan Your Visit
The Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention will be held rain or shine. Performances and competitions may be moved inside Heritage Hall Theatre in the event of inclement weather.
Parking will be available near Heritage Hall Square within a short walk of the venue. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early, bring a chair, come hungry, and plan to stay awhile.
Food trucks and other vendors will be on-site throughout the convention. Guests will also be able to purchase official Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention merchandise, The Kody Norris Show merchandise, and items offered by the featured performers.
Collectible merchandise commemorating the convention’s centennial is also available in limited quantities, including the 100th anniversary poster and the remastered limited-edition album, “A Fiddlers’ Convention: 1924–1930,” available on vinyl and CD.
All convention workshops are free, open to everyone, and held inside Heritage Hall Theatre.
Visitors traveling to Mountain City can find lodging information through the Johnson County tourism website at JohnsonCountyTN.gov/places-
A Community Tradition Made Possible by Community Support
The Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention is an all-volunteer effort. Sponsorship and grant funding directly support the costs of producing the event, including professional sound and staging, competition prizes, performer fees, printing, advertising, and promotion.
No salaries or personnel expenses are paid from sponsorship or grant funding, allowing those investments to go directly toward producing the convention, supporting performers and competitors, and keeping admission free for spectators.
Organizers gratefully recognize the businesses, organizations, foundations and individuals whose support is helping carry this historic tradition into its second century.
The 2026 supporters featured on the convention website include the Tennessee Arts Commission, Johnson County Community Foundation, Ballad Health, Doe Valley Farm, Mullins Real Estate, the Town of Mountain City, Forge Mountain Club, Humphrey Masonry, Kim Pope/State Farm, Kenny Fields, Wilson Madison, H&R Block, Stouts Plumbing, Kevin and Joan Kuhner, and Greg and Nancy Adams, along with additional convention partners and sponsors.
Proceeds remaining after the event provide seed funding for the following year’s convention, helping ensure that this important part of Johnson County’s musical heritage continues for generations to come.
Event at a Glance
What: 2026 Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention
When: Friday and Saturday, October 2–3, 2026
Where: Heritage Hall Square, 211 N Church Street, Mountain City, Tennessee
Admission: Free for spectators
Competition registration: Opens at 8 a.m. Saturday
Competition fee: $15 per person, per category
Prizes: More than $12,000 in cash and prizes
Grand Champion prize: Custom Jason Barie fiddle valued at approximately $5,000
Information: www.
Email: mountaincityfiddlerscon
Facebook: Follow the Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention for updates
Come early, bring your chair, and stay awhile as Mountain City begins the second century of a tradition that helped shape the sound of Appalachia—where old-time music found its voice.
ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN CITY FIDDLERS’ CONVENTION
First held in Mountain City, Tennessee, in May 1925, the Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention helped showcase the musicians and musical traditions that influenced the development of old-time, country, bluegrass, and Americana music. Revived in 2023 under the leadership of The Kody Norris Show, the convention brings together musicians, residents and visitors for performances, competitions and activities honoring Johnson County’s musical heritage. The convention celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025 and begins its second century on October 2–3, 2026.
