50th Annual
Montana State Old-Time Fiddle Contest
September 28-29, 2018
at the Choteau Pavilion 306 1st St NE, Choteau, MT
for more information email Jim McMillan at j45jim@gmail.com
The Montana State Fiddle Contest is held annually in Choteau, MT. It is open to residents and non-residents of all ages. Divisions are Peewee, Junior-Junior, Junior, Adult, Senior, Champion, Twin Fiddle, Anything Goes (Entertainment), and Dance Fiddle.
2018 MONTANA STATE FIDDLE CONTEST
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
5:30 pm Welcome, Introduction of Judges
5:45 Round 1 - Anything Goes, Twin Fiddling, Dance Fiddle
7:15 Round 2 - Twin Fiddling, Dance Fiddle
8:15 Round 2 – Judges Entertain
8:45 Awards – Anything Goes, Twin Fiddling, Dance Fiddle
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Morning
8:00 am Registration begins
9:00 Round 1 – Senior, Adult, PeeWee
10:30 Break
10:45 Round 1 – Novice, Junior-Junior, Junior
12:15 Lunch Break
Afternoon
1:30 pm Round 1 – Championship
2:30 Round 2 – Senior, Adult
3:15 Break
3:30 Round 2 – Novice, Junior-Junior, Junior
4:30 Round 2 – Championship, Awards - Novice
Evening
6:30 p.m. Round 2 – PeeWee (top 5)
7:00 Round 3 - Senior, Adult, Junior-Junior, Junior (top 5 each)
8:15 PeeWee Awards, Break
8:00 Round 3 – Championship (top 5 each)
9:10 50/50 Raffle, Hall of Fame presentation, Judges entertain
9:45 Awards
There will be a jam at the Stage Stop Inn after the contest on Friday and Saturday evenings.
2018 MONTANA STATE FIDDLE CONTEST
Prize Money
DIVISION 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Champion 300 200 100 75 50
Senior 150 125 100 75 50
Adult 125 100 75 50 35
Junior 125 100 75 50 35
Junior-Junior 75 50 35 20 10
Small Fry 25 20 15 10 5
Novice 100 75 50
Dance Fiddle 150 125 100 75 50
Accompanist 50 40 30 20 10
Twin Fiddle winner-takes-all jackpot
Anything Goes winner-takes-all jackpot
2018 Judges
Jacie Sites and John Francis
Jacie Sites is the 2017 National Adult Fiddle Champion. She is a former Idaho State, Oregon State, Idaho Open, Northwest Regional, National Twin Fiddling Competition, Gone to Texas and Grand Master Fiddle champion. She teaches fiddle in Rigby, Idaho and she and her husband Joe Sites own and operate Sites’ Violin Shop. Jacie has recently took up golfing and enjoys playing golf with her husband Joe most mornings.
John Francis attended his first fiddle competition in 1967 as a 12-year old fiddler. Now, over 50 years later, John has participated in over 400 competitions across the United States. During that time, John has won every major contest in the west including the National Grand Championship at Weiser, Idaho, 2 National Senior and 3 National Junior titles, multiple Western Open, NW Regional, Washington, California, and Utah state titles, in addition to wins at numerous local contests. John still loves to compete as well as to support other fiddlers as a tenor guitar accompanist. In addition to competing, John has also judged at dozens of contests around the country.
John lives in Salt Lake City with his wife Casee. They own and operate Amour Spreads, an artisan jam & marmalade company as well as Amour Café, a small European-style café.
Jacie Sites
John Francis
Accommodations in Choteau, MT
The Stage Stop Inn (406-466-5900) is offering a 15% discount for folks coming for the contest.
Help Us Raise Money for the "Montana Champions" CD Project
Montana State Champions 2017 CD
2017 Results
Championship
1. Taylor Buckley
2. Shelby Murdock
3. Isaac Callender
4. Grace Christensen
5. Kelly Buckley
6. Annika Bennion
7. Tarquin Bennion
Adult
1. Infinity Thompson
2. Louise Steinway
3. Leah Farnes
4. Lori Schreiner
Senior
1. Fred Buckley
2. Jim McMillan
3. Richard Baker
4. Chuck Kendrick
5. Vicki Rosenberry
6. Orville Grasdock
7. Marvin Hansen
Junior
1. Cadhla Norris
2. Madison Anderson
3. Alexis Beecham
4. Lane Gibney
Junior Junior
1. Bronte Bennion
2. Katie Johnson
3. Jasmine Salix
4. Hannay Degeneress
5. Bethany Fee
6. Eli Johnson
7. Riley Warner
8. Chloe Goosey
Small Fry
1. Naiya Negron
2. Jesse Anderson
3. Kaia Salix
Dance Fiddle
1. Isaac Callender
2. Louise Steinway
3. Leah Farnes
4. Katie Johnson
5. Naiya Negron
6. Orville Grasdock
7. Joan Holborn
Anything Goes
1. Louise Steinway
2. Isaac Callender
3. Naiya Negron
4. Sandy James
5. Jasmine Salix
6. Reg Wearley
Twin Fiddle
1. Louise Steinway and Isaac Callender