Vermonters are being asked to celebrate the state's rich tradition of fiddling by documenting fiddlers playing in each of Vermont's 251 towns in the year 2019.
“We want to gather at least one photo from every town, whether it's an individual or a group, playing on the town green or at the meeting house, a dance, the farmers' market, the fire station, the Grange hall, or just in someone's kitchen or backyard,” Jill Newton, a member of the Northeast Fiddlers Association, said in a news release.
The Fiddlers Association, along with the Champlain Valley Fiddlers Club and Young Tradition Vermont, is sponsoring the effort.
“So far, we have posted fiddlers from just five towns on our website, www.fiddlersonthegreenvt.com, but we hope that number will grow to 251 before snow flies next fall,” Newton said.
Photos may be of a planned event such as a summer concert series or family reunion or just a random happening.
The idea of the festival is to not only bring attention to and celebrate Vermont's great fiddling tradition and the organizations that keep it alive, but also to encourage younger Vermonters to carry on the traditions.
Photos can include musicians in addition to the fiddlers, and the musicians don't have to be residents of the town or even of Vermont. The photos will be made public on the website, where progress in meeting the festival goal will be monitored.
People may submit photos by email to fiddler@fiddlersonthegreenvt.com or by mail to Fiddlers on the Green, P.O. Box 644, Townshend, VT 05353.
Those submitting are asked to include the town, date, venue, fiddlers' names, tune titles, and any other details they can supply. Fiddlers can also submit listings of coming events to the website's calendar.