Mountain City Fiddler's Convention | Where Old-Time Music Found its Voice

Celebrating 100 Years of

Old-Time Music!

Where Old-Time Music Found Its Voice

PRESENTED BY

In 1925, a group of mountain musicians gathered at the old Johnson County High School in Mountain City, Tennessee — and made musical history. That first Fiddlers’ Convention became a defining moment for what the world would come to know as old-time and early country music.

A century later, the tradition continues where it all began. The 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention, presented by The Kody Norris Show, took place October 3–4, 2025, at Heritage Hall Theatre and throughout downtown Mountain City.

The weekend featured two incredible days of free concerts, music competitions, and community events honoring the legacy of those early Appalachian pioneers. From fiddlers and banjo pickers to family bands and fans from across the country, the celebration brought the sound of East Tennessee’s musical roots to life once again.

2025 CONVENTION PROGRAM

A special presentation was made to Jackie Warden and, posthumously, her husband Doug who hosted the Old Time Fiddlers' Convention - in homage to the original Mountain City Fiddlers' Convention - for about thirty years at their former Old Music Mill property.

To complete the 100th Anniversary Celebration, Kody and Mary Rachel presented Sparks with the GB Grayson Legacy Award. GB Grayson was one of the competitors at the first Mountain City Fiddlers' Convention and went on to influence the music for the past century. Members of GB Grayson's family were there for the presentation.