Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship

08/30/2026

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C45A8AF23A5FAC16-64767993-2026 #/

The Athens State University Foundation is in need of volunteers for the 2026 Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention being held September 30 – October 3.

It’s one of the most exciting times on Athens State’s campus, filled with music, tradition, and community. Did you know the Fiddlers Convention is the largest fundraiser for Athens State and our students?

You can be part of making this incredible event a success by volunteering and sharing the volunteer opportunities with your colleagues, friends and family!

Volunteer Opportunities Include:
• Ticket Booth – Exchange online tickets for wristbands and sell wristband tickets.
• Contestant Registration – Assist musicians with registration and help organize contestants backstage.
• Information & Merchandise Tent – Share event details, help with cash giveaway registration, and sell Fiddlers merchandise.
• Tallying for Judges – Enter and total contestant scores using Excel.
• Delmore Exhibit – Assist in the Delmore Brothers 100th Anniversary Exhibit.
• String Workshop – Assist with check in at the free stringed instrument workshops.

Sign up here: Volunteer Sign-Up
Perks of Volunteering:
• Volunteer T-Shirt
• Every volunteer receives a weekend pass to the Fiddlers Convention.
Come lend a hand, enjoy the music, and help support Athens State students!

The 2026 Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention will be held September 30 - October 2 on the campus of Athens State University. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

08/24/2026

https://athensfiddlers.org/strings-workshop/

Free Workshops OCT 1 and 2!!

08/14/2026

Judges for the 2026 GMFC Grand Master Fiddler Championship

New page

08/09/2026

From Ed Carnes:

Having competed in and judged fiddle competitions for nearly 50 years all over the US and in Canada, plus creating and running several national fiddle competition events for over 20 years myself, I've gotten to see a lot of things! I've seen firsthand how competitions can enhance a person’s growth and joy - no matter what age. Being on a stage as a youngster helped make a shy country boy from Kentucky be the type of person who can stand in front of thousands of people and perform or speak with ease.

My career is actually in Information Technology, and I've taken that discipline and tried to apply it to competitions.

Helping make competition scoring systems fairer and more unbiased and helping organizations put on better competitions has grown out of my desire to see others have the same opportunities I had.

Competitions thrive when they 1) are designed for people to have a good time, 2) allow people to have a reasonable expectation of perhaps getting a little bit of money to cover the trip, and 3) let people know they are going to be judged fairly with their scores or other feedback on their performance available if/when possible.

I'm excited about my Normalized Scoring System fairness-based software and process. It's currently being used by more than eight national, regional, and state championship events, and the number is growing. Along the way, I've developed a variety of related tools, documentation, and services that organizations can use, whether they need a complete scoring solution or just a specific tool such as competition timing.

I've also decided to take what I've learned from all these competitions and offer Competition Operations Services to help organizations build new competitions or improve existing ones. A big part of that is helping create realistic schedules, maintaining flexibility when things don't go exactly as planned, and making sure people can enjoy a great event and still get home at a reasonable hour.

Over the next few weeks, I'll also be launching a redesigned Carnes Group website that will provide more information about these services, along with technology advisory and leadership services offered to businesses and nonprofit organizations. I have attached a couple screen shots of the overviews. If you are interested in hearing more, contact us at NSSInquiries @ carnesgroup.com

07/31/2026

Sep 12th!

07/26/2026

Thank you Matt Lasley and Grayson County News!

Leitchfield's signature event, the Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship, returned for its 15th anniversary this past Saturday, filling the city's Public Square with music and festivities.

07/24/2026

Thanks Bluegrass Today!

The third weekend of July always sees the Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship in Leitchfield, KY, where $14,500 in prize money is awarded across six age groups.

07/20/2026

2026 Scores are posted

Send a message to learn more

07/20/2026

07/20/2026

Some photos from the SAT night concert