The 18th Appalachian String Band Music Festival at Camp Washington-Carver in Clifftop, wrapped up Sunday, Aug. 5. During the event, some of the nation’s finest string band musicians and old-time dancers won prizes in four old-time “traditional” contests—fiddle, banjo, string band and flat-foot dance—plus one “neo-traditional” string band contest. In addition, ribbons for best original song and best original tune were awarded in the neo-traditional band category.
More than 3,500 people attended the festival, which began Wednesday, Aug. 1. The annual gathering features concerts, contests, crafts, dancing and workshops. Next year’s festival will be held July 30 through Aug. 3, 2008. Camp Washington-Carver is operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.
The contest winners were:
Fiddle
1st place ($400) - Mike Bryant, Harriman, Tenn.
2nd place ($200) - Stephanie Coleman, Durham, N.C.
3rd place ($150) - Mark Simos, Watertown, Mass.
4th place ($100) - Chance McCoy, Martinsburg, W.Va.
5th place ($50) - Darin Gentry, Brevard, N.C.
Youth Fiddle - 15 years of age and under
1st place ($100) - Meade Rickter, Sugar Grove, N.C.
2nd place ($50) - Jordan Rast, Lancaster, Pa.
3rd place ($25) - Riannon Fowler, Scott Depot, W.Va.
Senior Fiddle - 60 years of age and over
1st place ($200) - Jim Cauthen, Birmingham, Ala.
2nd place ($100) - Benton Flippen, Mount Airy, N.C.
3rd place ($50) - Walt Koken, Avondale, Pa.
Banjo
1st place ($400) - Adam Hurt, Winston-Salem, N.C.
2nd place ($200) - Brien Fain, Stuart, Va.
3rd place ($150) - Hilarie Burhans, Athens, Ohio
4th place ($100) - Frank Evans, Toronto, Canada
5th place ($50) - Bob Smakula, Elkins, W.Va.
Youth Banjo - 15 years of age and under
1st place ($100) - Frank Evans, Toronto, Canada
2nd place ($50) - Corbin Hayslett, Amherst, Va.
3rd place ($25) - Cole Holland, Athens, Ala.
Senior Banjo - 60 years of age and over
1st place ($200) - Walt Koken, Avondale, Pa.
2nd place ($100) - Jim McKown, Hardy, Ky.
3rd place ($50) - Mac Benford, Trumansburg, N.Y.
Traditional Band
1st place ($700) - New Dixie Entertainers, Harriman, Tenn.
2nd place ($400) - Orpheus Supertones, Avondale, Pa.
3rd place ($300) - Haywire Gang, Natural Bridge, Va.
4th place ($200) - Clef Twangers, Watertown, Mass.
5th place ($100) - Cork Burners, Clay, Ala.
Neo-Traditional Band
1st place ($700) - Old-Time Liberation Front, Lancaster, Pa.
2nd place ($400) - Hound Dog Hill, Churchville, Va.
3rd place ($300) - Pan-Demonium, Greensboro, N.C.
4th place ($200) - The Common Taters, Fayetteville, W.Va.
5th place ($100) - Bull City Six Shooters, Durham, N.C.
Best Original Song
Hound Dog Hill, Churchville, Va.
Best Original Tune
Bull City Six Shooters, Durham, N.C.
Old-Time Flat-Foot Dance - 13 years of age and under
1st place ($75) - Molly McGuigan, Hellam, Pa.
2nd place ($50) - Haley McGuigan, Hellam, Pa.
3rd place ($25) - Rebecca Molaro, Asheville, N.C.
Old-Time Flat-Foot Dance - 14 years of age through 59
1st place ($75) - Ira Bernstein, Asheville, N.C.
2nd place ($50) - Josephine Stewart, Charlottesville, Va.
3rd place ($25) - Ryan Clover-Owens, Ithaca, N.Y.
Old-Time Flat-Foot Dance - 60 years of age and over
1st place ($75) - Thomas Maupin, Murfreesbourgh, Tenn.
2nd place ($50) - Margaret Hale, Ferrum, Va.
3rd place ($25) - Mary Butner of Winston-Salem, N.C.
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 the web site at www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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