In the interest of the safety of performers and guests, the Fiddle Fest scheduled for this Saturday has been postponed until the third Saturday in April.
The event will be held at the Rotary Building in Stuart.
The show is the first in a series of three that will highlight local talent in a variety of instruments, according to Denny Alley, president of the PCMA.
Alley said a lot of local players, and the top players within a 100-mile radius of Patrick County, are set to perform at the event sponsored by Olde Mill Music, located on Main Street in Mount Airy, N.C.
Performers include Charlie Chaney, Henry Mabe, Jason Phillips, Mica Slayden, Kayla Ward, Sidney Watson, Billy Hawks, and Mike Hartgrove of The Lonesome River Band.
The Country Boys will serve as the backup band and the featured band, Alley said.
“This band has been playing for 43 or 44 years. It’s the longest running bluegrass band in the area,” he added.
Alley does not expect the event to be cancelled due to the upswing in COVID-19 infections, but if that happens, he said the show would be rescheduled and a date announced later.
The PCMA’s final show of the year – Sammy Shelor’s Banjorama with The Lonesome River Band – held in December. The PCMA also held two other events last year, but Alley is hopeful this year’s schedule will be full.
He knows the shows have been missed, as illustrated by the estimate of a “near capacity crowd” attending the December show.
“Had it been a pretty day, people would have been sitting outdoors. But that was a foggy, rainy evening” and Alley speculated many did not attend because of the weather.
Admission to the show is a $5 donation at the door. Lawn chairs are encouraged, and masks are preferred. Prizes will be awarded throughout the night.
Performances will continue until the players get tired, Alley said.
Concessions will be available for purchase from the Patrick County Shooting Education Team, with proceeds going to teach children in the area firearm safety.
For more information or to watch past music performances, visit Facebook.com/PatrickCountyMusicAssociation.
