We’ve told you before about the documentary film, Fiddlin’, made by sisters Julie Simone and Vicki Vlasic, about the Old Fiddlers Convention in the town where they were raised, Galax, VA. The convention has been held there every year since 1935 when the local Moose Lodge was looking for a new fundraising project. The 84th annual event was hosted last weekend, with many thousands in attendance.
If you’ve ever been to Galax for fiddlers week, you’ll never forget it. The tiny town welcomes a doubling of its population in early August, when there’s not a hotel room to be found, nor a place to park from Sunday to Sunday. All the stores and restaurants stock up, and the streets are cleaned and sparkling. Everyone in town is proud to serve as hosts, and you find them on the streets waving and greeting visitors.
The pickers come from all over the known world to compete, jam, and hang out with friends in the campground. By the time the weekend rolls around, the park is literally bursting at the seams, with RVs and rough campsites crammed into every corner, and locals and visitors alike vying for decent seats in the stage area.
Julie and Vicki’s goal with this project was to capture that level of fun and excitement on film to share with other lovers of bluegrass and old time music, and to expose the culture and simplicity of life in this little Appalachian town.
Later this month, they will be taking the film on the road for six weeks of theater screenings, paired with special musical performances and Q&A sessions at several stops.
To celebrate the tour, the filmmakers have released this new trailer.
Fiddlin’ will be available on popular video-on-demand services starting in October, but if you would like to enjoy the theater experience, check the dates below.
- 8/27 – 8/31 Little Theater – Rochester, NY
- 9/3 – 9/4 Guild Cinema – Albuquerque, NM
- 9/5 Laemmle Royal – Los Angeles (Q&A and live performance)
- 9/8 Proctor’s – Schenectady, NY
- 9/13 The Lark – Larkspur, CA
- 9/13 – 9/15 Speed Museum – Louisville, KY (Q&A to be announced)
- 9/14 Gateway Film Center – Columbus, OH
- 9/18 – Murmrr Theater – Brooklyn, NY (Q&A and Live performance)
- 9/20 – 26 Twin County – Galax, VA
- 9/20 Foxy Loxy Cafe – Savannah, GA
- 9/21 Central Cinema – Knoxville, TN (Q&A and Live performance)
- 9/21 Kiggins Theatre – Vancouver, WA (Live performance)
- 9/24 SIFF Uptown Cinema – Seattle, WA
- 9/24 Maple Theater – Bloomfield TWP, MI
- 9/24 – 9/25 Guild Cinema – Albuquerque, NM
- 9/26 Alamo Drafthouse – Winchester, VA
- 9/29 Film Noir Cinema – Brooklyn, NY
- 10/4 – 10/10 Varsity Theater – Ashland, OR
- 10/10 Black Bear Americana Music Festival – Goshen, CT
- 11/9: Rowland Theater – Philipsburg, PA
More details on these showings, along with ticket information, can be found online.
