'Rosin Up the Bow and Here We Go!' Downtown Branson Fiddle Festival Scheduled for August 28, 29 & 30

'Rosin Up the Bow and Here We Go!' Downtown Branson Fiddle Festival Scheduled for August 28, 29 & 30

BRANSON, Mo., July 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Time to pull out those fiddles and rosin up those bows. The 21st Annual Downtown Branson Fiddle Festival & Mid-American Fiddlers Championship is coming to the banks of Lake Taneycomo in late August.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090730/DC54166)

Fiddling, according to event producer Bill Lennon, is an integral part of the fabric of the Ozarks. "The Ozarks and Fiddlin' should be like New Orleans and Jazz," Lennon said. "And this event has brought together the best in Ozarks fiddlers for the last two decades.

The weekend kicks off Friday night, August 28, with a concert by Springfield third generation family bluegrass legends "Big Smith" in front of the fountains at Branson Landing.

Free and open to the public, Big Smith's concert is only the beginning of a weekend packed with the best fiddle performances anywhere.

On Saturday, August 29, the competition will begin with preliminary heats, running from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Then following a gospel celebration at 10 a.m. on Sunday, August 30, the finals will get underway at noon.

More than $5000 in cash prizes will be awarded to winners, who will compete in six divisions: Pee Wee (ages 9 and younger,) Junior (10-16,) Senior (60 and older,) Cross Tuning, Seconding (guitar/bass accompaniment) and Open. The winners in the Pee Wee, Cross Tuning and Seconding divisions will be decided on Saturday. The Junior, Senior and Open divisions' finals will be held Sunday with the winners and first runners-up competing for the overall Grand Prize. The overall winner will have the opportunity to perform that evening with the Clay Cooper County Express at their Branson theatre.

In addition to the competition, there will be seminars held in the Ozarks Music and Culture tent up the hill from The Landing in Branson's Historic Downtown area. Street performances and sidewalk sales will also be part of the happenings in Historic Downtown, and throughout the weekend, Branson musicians and entertainers will be making special guest appearances.

The best part of the event is that it's totally free -- free to watch and free to enter, sponsored by The Downtown Branson Main Street Association, The Historic Downtown Branson Business Owners, The Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, The Branson Landing and The City of Branson.

As Branson's reputation has grown, the fiddle festival's reputation has grown along with it, and Lennon thinks the sky's the limit. "There's no reason why this event can't be an event of national importance," he said.

To enter the Downtown Branson Fiddle Festival or for more information, visit downtownbranson.org or call 417-334-1548.

For additional information about Branson's more than 100 live shows, theme parks, lakes, golf courses, family attractions, shopping and other features, or to order a free Branson Vacation Guide, call the Branson/Lakes Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-214-3661 or visit our website at www.explorebranson.com.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090730/DC54166
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN12
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitors Bureau

CONTACT: Lynn Berry of Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce Convention
and Visitors Bureau, +1-417-243-2137, lberry@bransoncvb.com

Web Site: http://www.downtownbranson.org/
http://www.explorebranson.com/

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