Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2025
94nd Annual Athens Old Fiddlers Reunion!
ATHENS - The 94th Annual Old Fiddlers Reunion is set for Friday April 18th & Saturday April 19th, 2025
Fiddle Jam Friday on the square:
· Stephanie Gade will MC for the day.
· 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Live music (Fiddle Jam Friday) on the Courthouse Square. Band line up: 12pm – Classic Country, 1:30pm – Wright Family, 2:30pm – EB Steward Family String Band, 3:30pm – Tiger Lillie’s, 4:30pm – The Western Flyers
· 12:00 pm to 5:30 pm – Multi activities for kids and families in the Texan Theater. (Easter Egg decorating competition, Family games and activities, gymnastics, etc.)
· 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm - Food & Merchandise vendors on the square (Merchandise Vendors hosted by Keep Athens Beautiful)
· 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm - Street Dance with Jodie Nix & Band on the square
Saturday Activities around town
· Stephanie Gade to MC on the square, Scott Tuley to MC at the fiddle contest.
· 10:00 am to 6:00 pm - Fiddle Competition inside the Texan Theater - A Landmark Venue
· 10:00 am to 6:00 pm - Live music on the courthouse main stage, Hotel Drifters (10am to 12pm), Cody Reilly (12 noon to 2 pm), Wesley Pruitt (3pm to 5:00pm), Stage Notes Performers
· 10:00 pm to 10:00 pm - food & craft vendors (craft vendors directed by Keep Athens Beautiful), (food vendors hosted by Athens Farmers Market and AOFF)
· 10:00 am to 10:00 pm - Kiddie Fair – (hosted by St Edwards Academy)
· 10:00 am to 2:00 pm - Bacon Auto Classic Car Show on their lot.
· 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm - Street Dance with Craig Howell and Band
· 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm both Friday & Saturday - Wine & Beer Garden on the square at Freelancers Café, Athens Brewery.
Note: Athens Old Fiddlers Facebook page will live stream the fiddle competition online. Live Stream Link will be sent to nursing homes and announced during the fiddle competition.
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2024
93rd Annual Athens Old Fiddlers Reunion is Back!
ATHENS – The 93rd Annual Old Fiddlers Reunion is set for Friday and Saturday, April 19th & 20th.
Continuing this historical tradition has been important to our community. The Athens Old Fiddler Reunion committee which consists of a non-profit organization, Fiddles on Wheels founders Sherry McKenzie and Cindy Roberts, Traci Wilkes (owner of Reigning Jewels), Camille Barnes (CCB Events & Smoky B’s BBQ).
“We have found that working together with the City of Athens, Camille Barnes, Traci Wilkes and local sponsors, Old Fiddlers is a perfect partner for our nonprofit to help ensure the tradition of a free, fun, festive, fiddle-flavored weekend on the courthouse square.”
There will be wonderful food vendors around the square, a kiddie zone and much more, so we have everything you need for a great day! Be sure and stop by the merch table at the stage for your official Athens Old Fiddler’s t-shirt!
Friday from 10 am to 1 pm there will be a 42 domino tournament in the Texan Theater put on by the East Texas Help Center directed by Leslie Saunders. Friday night will be a street dance from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm with Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys so get ready to do some boot scooting.
Saturday starting at 10:00 am we will have live music on the mainstage at the Henderson County courthouse square. Bluegrass, Western Swing and Folk music are among the genre’s of music you will enjoy. Take your pick at the many choices of food trucks and booths next to the mainstage on the square. In case of rain we will move the fiddle contest and the street dances inside the Texan Theater.
Saturday’s fiddle contest will run from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. After the contest there will be a Saturday night street dance with Texas treasure Jake Penrod and his Million Dollar Cowboys from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Grab your chair and come early to save your spot as they always fill the dance floor on every song wherever they play.
The, all ages, fiddle contest will be broken down into seven divisions with more than $5,200 in prize money at stake, so set up your chairs on the courthouse lawn and get ready for some great music. In case of rain the contest will be moved inside the Texan Theater.
The music is free with seating on a first come basis.
The entire community is getting involved for this year’s Reunion.
We would like to thank this year sponsors for your support: Fiddles on Wheels, Republic Services, City of Athens, Athens Daily Review, The Texan Theater – A Landmark Venue, Reigning Jewels Fine Jewelry, Morton Small Animal Clinic, Trinity Valley Community College, East Texas Independent Business Alliance, First State Bank, KCKL, KLVQ, Bacon Auto Ranch, Athens Screen Printing, and Hope Springs Water. If you are interested in being volunteer or sponsor, contact us on our facebook page @athensfiddlers or email athensoldfiddlersreunion@gmail.com
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2023
92nd Annual Athens Old Fiddlers Reunion is Back!
ATHENS – The 92nd Annual Old Fiddlers Reunion is set for Friday May 26th & Saturday May 27th, 2023.
Continuing this historical tradition has been important to our community.
The Athens Old Fiddler Reunion committee which consists of a non-profit organization, Fiddles on Wheels founders Sherry McKenzie and Cindy Roberts, Traci & Jackie Wilkes (owners of Reigning Jewels), Camille Barnes (CCB Events & Smoky B’s BBQ).
“We have found that working together with the City of Athens, Camille Barnes, Traci Wilkes and local sponsors, Old Fiddlers is a perfect partner for our nonprofit to help ensure the tradition of a free, fun, festive, fiddle-flavored weekend on the courthouse square.”
Thursday night VIP Dinner and Dance fundraiser for The Rotary Club at The Texan Theater – 6pm to 10pm
Friday starting at noon there will be a variety of food trucks and booths around the square, a kiddie zone and much more, so we have everything you need for a great day! Friday night will be a street dance from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm with Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys so get ready to do some boot scooting.
Take your pick at the many choices of food trucks and booths next to the mainstage on the square.
Saturday’s fiddle contest will run from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
The, all ages, fiddle contest will be broken down into seven divisions with more than $5,200 in prize money at stake, so set up your chairs on the courthouse lawn and get ready for some great music. After the contest there will be a Saturday night street dance with Texas treasure Jake Penrod and his Million Dollar Cowboys from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Grab your chair and come early to save your spot as they always fill the dance floor on every song wherever they play.
A Classic Car Show and hamburger cookout will be sponsored by The Athens Masons in the Texan Theater parking lot from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
As always, the Athens Old Fiddlers Reunion is a free event with seating on a first come basis.
Want to make a weekend out of it? Super 8 is offering a special Fiddlers Rate so make sure to call their office at 903-675-7511.
We would like to thank this year sponsors for your support: Fiddles on Wheels, Republic Services, City of Athens, Athens Daily Review, The Texan Theater – A Landmark Venue, Reigning Jewels Fine Jewelry, Trinity Valley Community College, First State Bank, KCKL, KLVQ, Bacon Auto Ranch and Hope Springs Water. If you are interested in being volunteer or sponsor, contact us on our facebook page @athensfiddlers or email athensoldfiddlersreunion@gmail.com
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2022
Its time for the 91st Annual Athens Old Fiddlers Reunion!
ATHENS – The 91st Annual Old Fiddlers Reunion is set for Friday and Saturday, May 27th and 28th.
Continuing this historical tradition has been important to our community. The Athens Old Fiddler Reunion committee which consists of a non-profit organization, Fiddles on Wheels founders Sherry McKenzie and Cindy Roberts, Traci Wilkes (founder of East Texas Independent Business Alliance and owner of Reigning Jewels), Camille Barnes (CCB Events & Smoky B’s BBQ), Kristin Willingham (Director of The Athens Chamber of Commerce) and Mary Ensign as she continues to mentor our committee.
Fiddles on Wheels wrote, “Our nonprofit has been helping with the Athens Old Fiddlers Reunion the past few years and we quickly realized that it would take a team of people to fill Mary Ensign's shoes!
“We have found that working together with the City of Athens, Camille Barnes, Kristin Willingham, Traci Wilkes and local sponsors, Old Fiddlers is a perfect partner for our nonprofit to help ensure the tradition of a free, fun, festive, fiddle-flavored weekend on the courthouse square.”
Friday night will be a street dance from 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm listen and dance to Athen’s native, a master of Honky-Tonk, Jake Penrod and his Million Dollar Cowboys.
Saturday’s fiddle contest will run from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. After the contest there will be a Saturday night street dance with Texas treasure Jody Nix & The Texas Cowboys from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm. Grab your chair and come early to save your spot as they always fill the dance floor on every song wherever they play.
The, all ages, fiddle contest will be broken down into seven divisions with more than $5,000 in prize money at stake, so set up your chairs on the courthouse lawn and get ready for some great music.
There will be wonderful food vendors around the square, so we have everything you need for a great day! Be sure and stop by the merch table at the stage for your official Athens Old Fiddler’s t-shirt!
The carnival will also be in town Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the city parking lot behind The Texan. The carnival will be open 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm on Thursday and Friday and 12:00 pm (noon) to Midnight on Saturday. Ride tickets are $1 with a bracelet for unlimited rides costing $25.
Athens Farmers Market, will be joining the festivities on West Tyler Street beside the Henderson County Annex and extending to the front of Athens Brewery from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
All the concerts will be outdoors this year, but we will have a Chili Cookoff inside The Texan on Saturday from 11:30 am and will end at 2:00 pm.
The music is free with seating on a first come basis.
211 Gallery, located just a block north from the competition, will be hosting painting session from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Saturday.
The East Texas Arboretum will be displaying one hundred or more wooden fiddles painted by the community and supporters of the Arboretum. They will be on display the entire week of Fiddlers Reunion.
Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center will be offering FREE admission during the weekend to anyone who brings their fiddles and just wants to jam out. So, you might get to hear some fiddlin’ while fishin’! Fishery hours are 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Want to make a weekend out of it? Super 8 is offering a special Fiddlers Rate so make sure to call their office at 903-675-7511.
We would like to thank this year sponsors for your support: Fiddles on Wheels, Republic Services, City of Athens, Visit Athens, Athens Daily Review, The Texan, Reigning Jewels Fine Jewelry, Morton Small Animal Clinic, Trinity Valley Community College, East Texas Independent Business Alliance, First State Bank, KCKL, KLVQ, Bacon Auto Ranch, Athens Screen Printing, and Hope Springs Water. If you are interested in being added to this list, contact us on our facebook page @athensfiddlers or email athensoldfiddlersreunion@gmail.com
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