Champion old-time banjo, lap dulcimer and flat pick guitar players competed for prizes today during the 31st annual Vandalia Gathering.
The winners were:
Old-Time Banjo (under age 60)
1st place ($400) - Bob Shank, Bruceton Mills
2nd place ($250) - Bob Smakula, Elkins
3rd place ($150) - David O’Dell, West Logan
4th place ($75) - Ben Townsend, Romney
5th place ($50) - Jim Mullins, St. Albans
Senior Old-Time Banjo (age 60 and over)
1st place ($400) - Gerry Milnes, Elkins
2nd place ($250) - Ben Carr, Wilsie
3rd place ($150) - Bernard Cyrus, Fort Gay
4th place ($75) - Ted Samples, Harrisville
5th place ($50) - Charlie Loudermilk, Frankford
Youth Lap Dulcimer (age 15 and under)
1st place ($75) - Katie Stricker, South Charleston
2nd place ($50) - Shalor Gore, Charleston
3rd place ($25) - Jackson Davis, Tornado
Lap Dulcimer (all ages)
1st place ($400) - Robin Kessinger, St. Albans
2nd place ($250) - Dave Haas, Cross Lanes
3rd place ($150) - Heidi Mueller, Charleston
4th place ($75) - Tish Westman, Mabscott
5th place ($50) - Tim Gillenwater, Griffithsville
Youth Flat Pick Guitar (age 15 and under)
1st place ($75) - Jacob Ryder, Marlinton
2nd place ($50) - Doug Cossin, Mt. Alto
3rd place ($25) - Levi Lipps, Bomont
Flat Pick Guitar (all ages)
1st place ($400) - Matt Lindsey, Dunbar
2nd place ($250) - Adam Hager, Kenna
3rd place ($150) - Brandon Bentley, Sumerco
4th place ($75) - Dan Kessinger, St. Marys
5th place ($50) - Tim Gillenwater, Griffithsville
The annual Vandalia Gathering is a FREE celebration of the traditional arts, music, dance, stories, crafts and foods of West Virginia. The Cultural Center and State Capitol Complex grounds play host to this expanding family-style gathering each year on Memorial Day weekend. The statewide folk festival, named for the proposed 14th colony, creates new memories for the thousands of visitors who flock from across the Mountain State and the entire country to celebrate traditions passed from generation to generation. In addition to offering a sampling of West Virginia’s traditional mountain culture by showcasing craftspeople and performers, the Vandalia Gathering pays tribute to the state’s ethnic heritage through a variety of exhibitions and programs.
For more information, call Jacqueline Proctor, deputy commissioner and communications manager for the Division, at (304) 558-0220, ext. 120.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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