2024 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention results

Grand Champion Timon Veelenturf from the Netherlands with his prize fiddle – photo © Dustin Nelson

This past weekend saw the second edition of the resurrected Mountain City Fiddlers Convention under the direction and management of The Kody Norris Show, in cooperation with the Johnson County Tourism Office in Mountain City, TN.

The convention had been held there in Mount air City since 1925, but didn’t survive the COVID shutdowns of 2020. But after three years with no competition, Norris, and his wife, Mary Rachel Nalley Norris, who plays mandolin and fiddle with the Show, agreed to take over as hosts and keep the tradition alive.

Mary Rachel tells us that everything went beautifully, and that they gave away $6,500 in prizes, along with a custom-made fiddle by Jason Barrie with the convention logo carved into the back, given to the Grand Champion.

“What a weekend! We couldn’t have had asked for a more perfect weekend. The weather was great, the fans were all excited and the contestants were all ready for friendly competition. Our mission for the Mountain City Fiddlers Convention is to combine the culture and heritage of Mountain City all while growing the awareness of our past! I feel this year we stepped that up a notch by bringing in three national touring music acts whose roots stem to the very first Fiddlers Convention but also fiddlers and band that have paved their own way in the industry! We want to preserve and grow!”

And the winners are:

Junior Mandolin

1. Hollace Oakes – Snowville, VA
2. Tucker Conner – Fleetwood, VA

Junior Guitar

1. Berkley Stewart – Saltville, VA
2. Tucker Conner – Fleetwood, VA
3. Zane Lewis – Shady Valley, TN

Junior Banjo

1. Berkley Stewart – Saltville, VA
2. Grace Weatherly – Johnson City, TN

Junior Band

1. Denim & Plaid – Snowville, VA
2. Hail Mary Bluegrass Band – Shady Valley, TN

Folk Song

1. Cassandra Bates – Hartsville, TN
2. Wayne Frye – Radford, VA
3. J.M. Trivette – Zionville, NC

Dobro

1. Eric Handy – Christiansburg, VA
2. Ethan Handy – Christiansburg, VA

Adult Banjo

1. Tom Isaacs – Vilas, NC
2. Kenny Price – Mountain City, TN
3. Brock Greer – Kingsport, TN

Adult Guitar

1. Tom Isaacs – Vilas, NC
2. Grant Dresnok – Johnson City, TN
3. Brock Greer – Kingsport, TN

Adult Mandolin

1. Joe Henson – Johnson City, TN
2. Greg Blevins – Marion, VA
3. William Robert – Boomer, NC

Junior Fiddle

1. Hollace Oakes – Snowville, VA
2. Josephine Walker – Todd, NC
3. Jeremiah Bates – Hartsville, TN 

Adult Fiddle

1. Cody Bauer – Knoxville, TN
2. Timon Veelenturf – Rotterdam, Holland
3. Tom Isaacs – Vilas, NC

Adult Clogging

1. Annette Burkhart – Lansing, NC
2. Lisa Friess – Mountain City, TN

Adult Band

1. Tater Hill Rambling Boys – Zionville, NC
2. Pythagorus – Johnson City, TN
3. Wilkes Record Players

Grand Champion – Fiddle Off

1. Timon Veelenturf – Rotterdam, Holland
2. Cody Bauer – Knoxville, TN
3. Hollace Oakes – Snowville, VA

There were also live performances from Appalachian Road Show, Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys, and The Tennessee Bluegrass Band.

The 100^th celebration of the Mountain City Fiddlers Convention is set October 3-4, 2025. Full details can be found online.