Winners from the 88th annual Old Fiddlers Convention in Galax

Off The Rails – 1st Bluegrass Band at the 2024 Old Fiddlers’ Convention – photo © G Nicholas Hancock


The 88th Annual Old Fiddlers Convention Open Competition, held August 5-10 at Felts Park in Galax, VA, concluded at 1:00 a.m. Sunday, after the last winner was announced.

The 2024 winners in the order they placed are:

 Old Time Fiddle

  1. Annisa Burnett – Johnson City, TN
  2. Aila Wildman – Floyd, VA
  3. Cody Bauer – Knoxville, TN
  4. Raistlin Brabson – Boones Mill, VA
  5. Richard Bowman – Mt. Airy, NC
  6. Matt Kirwin – Hayes, VA
  7. Janie Rothfield – Staunton, VA
  8. Adrian Powell – Richmond, VA
  9. Deb Shebish – Winston-Salem, NC
  10. Kevin Fore – Galax, VA

Bluegrass Fiddle

  1. Ruth Shumway – West Jefferson, NC
  2. Alice Gould – Rincon, GA
  3. Ella Thomas – West Columbia, SC
  4. Nathan Aldridge – Graham, NC
  5. Daniel Greeson – Jamestown, NC 
  6. Hollace Oakes – Snowville, VA
  7. Rex McGee – King, NC
  8. John Hofmann – Thomasville, NC 
  9. Glen Alexander – Charlotte, NC
  10. Stephen Fraleigh – Raleigh, NC

Mandolin

  1. Brian Muller – Christiansburg, VA
  2. Lucy Lindblom – Bloomingdale, GA
  3. Alan McMillian – Cana, VA
  4. Todd Hiatt – State Road, NC
  5. Aaron Combs – Galax, VA
  6. Adam McPeak – Max Meadows, VA
  7. Ralph McGee – King, NC
  8. Greg Goodson – Charlottesville, VA
  9. Greg Jones, Mount Airy, NC
  10. Tim Perry – Statesville, NC

Dobro 

  1. Holger Olesen – Birchdale, MN
  2. N.R. Taylor – Wytheville, VA 
  3. Luke Lindblom – Bloomingdale, GA
  4. Keith Aiken – Henderson, NC
  5. Ryan Blevins – Marion, Va
  6. Robert Ellis – Mocksville, NC
  7. Johnathan – McHone – Danbury, NC
  8. Asenath Easter – Cana, VA
  9. Pammy Lassiter – West End, NC
  10. Matthew Zuckerman – Baltimore, MD

Clawhammer Banjo

  1. Marsha Todd – Mount Airy, NC
  2. Jared Boyd – Galax, VA
  3. Trish Fore – Galax, VA
  4. Kelley Breiding – Crumpler, NC
  5. Robbie Herman – Taylorsville, NC
  6. Jim Lloyd – Rural Retreat, VA
  7. Garrett Wyatt – Independence, VA
  8. Adam Beshears – Elkin, NC
  9. Cody Jackson – Wytheville, VA
  10. Steven Casto – Marlington, WV

Bluegrass Banjo

  1. Travis Watts – Mount Airy, NC
  2. Luciya Sullivan – Evanston, IL
  3. Ayden Young – Roanoke, VA
  4. James McDowell – Hendersonville, NC
  5. Ryan Rissler – Chambersburg, PA
  6. Elijah Ellenburg – Liberty, SC
  7. Taylor Shuck – Louisville, KY
  8. Ettore Buzzini – Mooresville, NC
  9. Stewart Werner III – Stuart, VA
  10. Anthony Howell – Kosciusko, MS

Dulcimer

  1. Kendra Ward – Bidwell, OH
  2. Kimberly Dean – Roanoke, VA
  3. Diane Parker – Galax, VA
  4. Tim Thorton – Shawsville, VA
  5. Eva Casstevens – Mocksville, NC
  6. Danny Casstevens, – Mocksville, NC
  7. Sharon Boyd – Colonial Heights, VA
  8. Carla Ann Foster – Huddleston, VA
  9. Barry Martin – Henry, VA
  10. Frank Horn – North Tazewell, VA

Autoharp

  1. David Kilby – Peach Bottom, PA
  2. Lois Shumaker – Olin, NC
  3. Ronnie Burroughs – Keysville, VA
  4. Tyler Hughes – Big Stone Gap, VA
  5. Vicki Boyd – Laurel Fork, VA
  6. Lu Furtado – Winston-Salem, NC
  7. Elizabeth Merkhofer – Washington, DC
  8. Virgil Adams – Galax, VA
  9. James Moore – Roanoke, VA
  10. Libby Kahn – Fries, VA

Guitar

  1. Eric Hardin – Warrensville, NC
  2. John Garris – Durham, NC
  3. Steve Lewis – Laurel Springs, NC
  4. Libby Lindblom – Bloomingdale, GA
  5. Lucas White – Galax, VA
  6. Chad Harrison – Claudeville, VA
  7. Geary Allen – Johnson City, TN
  8. Graydon Shepherd – West Jefferson, NC
  9. Brennen Ernst – Philadelphia, PA
  10. Oscar Caudell – Asheville, NC

Folk Song

  1. Anneli Burnett – Boone, NC
  2. Emily Tucker – Ferrum, VA 
  3. Tucker Connor – Fleetwood, NC
  4. Chloe Mylet – Winston-Salem, NC
  5. Melinda Kenney – Galax, VA
  6. Carolyn Munn – Monroe, NC
  7. Megan White – Greensboro, NC
  8. Tierra Raiti – Asheville, NC
  9. Emma Tickle – Christiansburg, VA
  10. Jack Zell – Austinville, VA

Youth Folksong

  1. Tucker Conner – Fleetwood, NC
  2. Leo Lindblom – Bloomingdale, GA
  3. Jasie Slaughter – Willis, VA
  4. Lucy Smith – Johnson City, TN
  5. Kyrie Sexton – Galax, VA

Flatfoot Dance

  1. Jacob Fennell – Dickson, TN
  2. Margo MacSweeney – Floyd, VA
  3. Brett Morris – Galax, VA
  4. Delbert Dunford – Wytheville, VA
  5. Barbara Bowman – Mt. Airy, NC
  6. Julie Powell – Boone, NC
  7. Brian Ferguson – Rocky Mount, VA
  8. Mitchell Robinson – Galax, VA
  9. Nora Powell – Boone, NC
  10. Laura Sumner – Galax, VA

Youth Flatfoot Dance

  1. Margo MacSweeney – Floyd, VA
  2. Nora Powell – Boone, NC
  3. Jude Morris – Saltville, VA
  4. Misha MacSweeney – Floyd, VA
  5. Noah Fennell – Dickson, TN

Bluegrass Band

  1. Off The Rails – Galax, VA
  2. The Old Time Bluegrass Band – State Road, NC
  3. Outhouse Ramblers – Salem, VA
  4. The Jakes From State Farm – Stoneville, NC
  5. Hot-N-Bothered – Christiansburg, VA
  6. Carolina Ridgeline – Roaring Gap, NC
  7. Coyote Ugly – Kingsport, TN
  8. Son – Radford, VA
  9. Harrison Ridge – Woodlawn, VA
  10. Hammaville – Bedford, VA
  11. Bluegrass Brothers – Salem, VA
  12. Loyle Dawson and Slick Quiver – Mocksville, NC
  13. Mountain Blessings – Mount Airy, NC
  14. New River Line – Galax, VA
  15. Headin’ Home – Bloomingdale, GA

Old Time Band

  1. Maggodee Creek Boys – Boones Mill, VA
  2. The New Critter Connection – Damascus, VA
  3. Twin Creeks String Band – Ferrum, VA
  4. The Wildcats – Galax, VA
  5. Whoopin’ Holler String Band – Marlington, WV 
  6. The Hooligans – Galax, VA
  7. New River Bound – Christiansburg, VA
  8. Slate Mountain Ramblers – Mount Airy, NC
  9. Southern Pride – Hillsville, VA
  10. Roadkill Roadrunners – Johnson City, TN
  11. Up Jumped Trouble – Callaway, VA
  12. The Young and The Restless – Galax, VA
  13. Mudhole Control – Marlinton, WV
  14. The Surry County Broadcasters – Mount Airy, NC
  15. The Carolina Squat – King, NC

Best All-Around Performer – Kendra Ward (Dulcimer) – Bidwell, OH  

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About the Author

Nicholas Hancock

Nicholas Hancock is a former newspaper writer and editor who also played rhythm guitar in The Bluegrass Gentlemen from 1968 through mid-1974. Today, he is retired and enjoying his hobby of photographing bluegrass and other music events.