This week Thursday and Friday featured the International Music Camp's 28th annual Fiddle, Guitar, Bass and 5-String Banjo Workshops at the International Peace Garden.

Music Camp co-director, Tim Bauman, says the Fiddle Workshop has been a full two days of instruction in Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Metis, Canadian Old-Time, and Bluegrass Fiddle styles!

Then on Saturday, June 8th, the 47th Annual International Old-Timer Fiddlers Contest will take place featuring fiddlers from both sides of the Canada/U.S. border to compete in categories from the young fiddlers to those who've been fiddling for years!  Cash prizes and trophies are to be won, plus the title of over-all champion is to be claimed by the best fiddler for 2024.

The public is welcome to come and listen to some dynamic, toe-tapping music by these very accomplished musicians, says Tim Bauman. 

"It's a cool day on Saturday just to see from young to old the growth and the range of abilities and the Championship Round is on fire! It's so fun to see just how amazing those fiddlers are!  It's a great contest!"

Fiddlers from across North America travel to the Peace Garden to participate in the two-day workshop and then to compete on the Saturday challenge, as far away as Arizona, but primarily from Manitoba and North Dakota and the surrounding states and provinces, bringing as many as 40 competitors.

Bauman says the contest starts with a couple of rounds of preliminary playing, from which they move the top 5 scores into the championship category.  Competitors go through 3 rounds throughout the course of the day performing their selections for the judges.  It's important to note the judges are in a different room so are unable to identify who exactly is performing at that time, and the order of competitors changes each round.

Scores are tabulated throughout the day and by evening the top scoring fiddler is named as this year's champ!

"We have an accompanist who is here on site, and he just plays along with everybody to give a little bit of background and support," adds Bauman.  "It's phenomenal and again that Championship Round is just an amazing close contest!"

Please visit the International Music Camp HERE and there you will find more on the upcoming events.  Also their Facebook page link is HERE!

For more on the Saturday, June 8th International Old-Timer Fiddlers Contest please click HERE!