Once in a Blue Moon, winning band at Highfalls Fiddlers’ Convention – photo © G. Nicholas Hancock
The 2025 Highfalls’ Fiddlers’ Convention, held April 5 at North Moore High School in Robbins, NC, was a great reflection of the talent central North Carolina has to offer. The event began in 1921 and has run continuously at least since 1935, until the global pandemic. Miranda Smith and her hardworking team brought it back after COVID in 2023 and each year the event gets bigger and better.
This year the almost six hour show consisted of over 50 competition entries, plus entertainment by local artists Hammer-N-Song and the judges, Donna Hughes, Mark Dillon, and Eck McCanless.
The 2025 winners were:
Youth
Band
- 4 Walls
- The Terry Family Band
Fiddle
- Aubree Decker
- Lydia Walls
- Elijah Specring
Banjo:
- Cameron Edenfield
- Carley Hatley
- Silas Walls
Guitar
- Branston LeGrand
- Arthur Hayes
- Corban Walls
Mandolin
- Sarah Walls
- Arthur Hayes and Carley Hatley (tie)
Dobro
- Ford Terry
- JD Hussey
Bass
- Alexander Hayes
Vocal
- Chelsea Edenfield
- Bailey Ingram
- Caroline Terry
Most Outstanding Youth Performance – Cameron Edenfield
Adult
Band
- Once in a Blue Moon
- Devon Flaherty & His Railroad Ramblers
- Cameron 5
Fiddle
- Alec McCallister
- Andrew Walker
- Sam Hill
Banjo
- Levi Austin
- Jack Ritter
- Devon Flaherty
Guitar
- John Michael Hill
- John Schwab
- Bob Dotson
Mandolin
- Alex Meredith
- Racy Maness
- John Bishop
Bass
- Ben Nobeit
- Hallie Ritter
- John Fogleman
Dobro
- Sandy Hatley
- Daniel Smith
- Pammy Lassiter
Vocal
- Morgan Brown
- Dawn Caviness
- Kyna Garner
Miscellaneous
- Choo Choo Charlie Williams (harmonica)
- Elaine Bowman (piano)
- Kenny Welch (harmonica)
Dance
- Brianna Griffin
- Pammy Lassiter
Outstanding Adult Performance – Alec McCallister
Promoter Smith, concluded…
“I was very happy with our event! All the things we’ve spent the last three years trying to figure out seemed to finally work like we wanted them to. Everything felt organized and calm, and we had the best talent I have ever heard at Highfalls. Every time I walked into the auditorium I got distracted by how good everyone sounded.
I’m lucky I have volunteers who agreed to withstand the heat, and help put on our best Highfalls Fiddlers’ Convention so far.”
Just before midnight, MC Big T Lassiter closed things out, saying, “That’s a wrap. See you back here next year!”
Proceeds from the convention will benefit the band and orchestra programs in the local schools.
