“The pioneers who settled these valleys and majestic mountains brought with them the fiddle and the bow, on which they played the old-time music in their lowly thatched cabin homes.  With the accumulation of years, the red men have disappeared, the big forests have been cleared away, the Indian trails converted into a network of highways, new generations have come and gone, but the old time music of the fiddle and the bow will never cease to soothe the human soul or charm the wild impulse of the savage beast.”

The above passage was printed in the Fort Payne Journal on August 10, 1938, describing the annual DeKalb County Fiddlers’ Convention. From 1908 until 1942 people packed Fort Payne on the first Monday night of the fall session of Circuit Court to attend this musical event.

This event continues today and features over 10 categories in which contestants can register to participate.  It includes old-time fiddling, banjos, blue grass, and much more.  For more information about admission or entry fees, contact the Big Wills Arts Council at 256-845-2224.