Fun at Fiddlers Along the Arkansas
Summer in Canon City, Colorado is always packed with events and things to do. One of the highlights of the summer months has become the annual “Fiddlers Along the Arkansas”. Fiddle players (not to be confused with violin players) come from all corners of the country, and a few have even come from other countries, to compete and to “jam”. Where you find a fiddle, you will also find banjos, guitars, keyboards, mandolins, and just about any other similar musical instrument. The result is a weekend of fun and entertainment that is unparalleled.
Fiddlers Along the Arkansas is traditionally held on the last weekend of July each year. The Canon City Kiwanis Club sponsors the event, and sees to the organization. There are always at least 100 independent food and craft vendors, in addition to the Lion’s Club pancake breakfast, offered both Saturday and Sunday mornings, the Kiwanis BBQ dinner, served Saturday evening, and a host of local provisions. This gathering of music lovers and musicians is held in the Veteran’s Park at the extreme west end of Canon City. The park lies between the Arkansas River and US Highway 50 at the intersection of First Street. The park is full of huge trees for shade, and a playground and restrooms, making it a very comfortable and enjoyable place to spend the day.
Beginning on the Friday before the event, vendors begin setting up their tents and booths. During the entire day on Friday, motorhomes and other vehicles with out of state plates begin gathering in the parking lots surrounding the park. There is a nice covered stage in the park, and one-by-one, the musicians begin to collect near that bandstand. By 6:30pm, enough musicians have met at the stage to warrant some pickin’ and grinnin’. First, two or three people (sometimes who know one another already from years gone by, sometimes who have just introduced themselves) start tuning and playing snippets of songs to warm up. Soon, there will be four or five people gathered on the stage, still quietly playing together. Whoever is the emcee for the year will normally turn on the amplifiers and the microphones and will begin inviting musicians in the crowd (now usually huge) to bring their instruments and come to the stage. Everyone takes turns, and some play several different instruments, and switch back and forth. For the next three or four hours, you will be treated to some of the finest impromptu music you have likely ever heard. The fare is usually a mixture of bluegrass and country music, laced liberally with original compositions of the musicians. In the sixteen years I have attended this event, I have never seen a single bad performance.
On Saturday, the day begins at 7am with the Lion’s Club pancake breakfast. During the entire day, small groups and individuals will be playing in corners, under trees, and off to themselves. Beginning at 10am, the contest commences. There are several different classes or categories of fiddlers, based on age groups, and the grand prize is $200 cash. After the competition ends, there is the Kiwanis BBQ dinner, and an evening of music in the park.
Sunday morning begins again at 7am with the pancake breakfast. After a morning of browsing the vendors’ wares, around 10am, the Gospel Hootenanny begins. The Kiwanis Club members hand out song books so that everyone has the words and can sing along. The musicians all gather to supply the music, and the sing-along will last as long as everyone wants to continue. Most times this is at least a two or three hour affair. For the remainder of the day on Sunday, there are little groups of musicians playing in the chairs around the park, under the trees, great food, and by the time the day is done, hundreds of new friendships and future bands have begun. Don’t miss the Fiddlers Along the Arkansas. Put it on your vacation calendar, and plan it as a weekend get-away every year. You will never be disappointed. If you love bluegrass and good old country music, you will love this weekend of greats. There are even special rates for the motel and hotel reservations in the area, and a special eat and sleep deal for parking RVs in the Dinosaur Depot lot across from the park. Plan ahead, though, every year, this event is growing larger, and the accommodations are filling up earlier.
