Ronee Blakley to Perform During Fiddle Week
Posted in: Festival News Releases, General News Releases | Comments Off
Over the years, Weiser has been privileged to host many top-notch entertainers during Fiddle Week. The National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest and Festival is pleased to announce that actress, singer, director Ronee Blakley will be appearing on the Bluegrass Village Stage at City Park on two occasions during Fiddle Week.
With an impressive career spanning over four decades, Ronee Blakley has been nominated for the Golden Globes, Academy Award, Grammy, and British Academy Award. She has many films to her credit, has recorded numerous albums, has recorded with Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Hoyt Axton and many others.
Taking a break before heading to New York in September to appear at the Bitter End, Ronee said she thought appearing on the stage during Fiddle Week, “sounded like a lot of fun.” She will be sharing songs from her new album, “River Nile” as well as others from her numerous albums.
Ronee has acted in many movies and has an impressive and versatile list of accomplishments. This hard-working singer/actress’s performance in the movie, “Nashville,” earned her an Academy Award nomination and you may remember her role in “Nightmare on Elm Street” as the mother of the heroine. She will appear in the documentary for Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue by Martin Scorsese, which is in post production. She also has numerous TV appearances to her credit. “There is not much that this versatile performer cannot do and we are privileged to have her on our stage. She is one lovely, hard-working lady,” said Festival Director Sandra Cooper.
Ronee Blakley will be on the Bluegrass Village Stage at City Park at 7:30 on Tuesday evening, June 22 and on Saturday June 26 at around 2:30. Don’t miss this special opportunity to see this versatile and talented performer. A complete line-up of the excellent entertainment on stage all week is available online at www.weiserfestival.com, in the Signal-American Fiddle Edition, or the NOTFC Event Guide.
Admin @ June 13, 2010
Bluegrass Village Stage Schedule
Posted in: General News Releases | Comments Off
Tuesday
11:00am Bruce Looselips
12:00pm Moore Sisters
1:00pm Hoppers and Crump
2:00pm Arizona Kennedy
3:00pm Debbie Mills
4:00pm Bob Miller Band
5:00pm Dennis Cooper Harmonica
6:00pm High School Cheerleaders
6:30pm Yvonne Clark
7:30pm To Be Announced
Wednesday
11:00am MacKayla Van Campen
12:00pm Ken Worthington and Friends
1:00pm Brooks E Robertson and Bobby Gibson
2:00pm John Spicer Group
3:00pm Gem State Fiddlers
4:00pm Nancy Galt
5:00pm Josephine Spicer
6:00pm Byron Berline
7:00pm Brooks E Robertson
8:00pm Rhik E Lee and the Heavenly Hillbillies
9:00pm Dennis Cooper Harmonica
Thursday
12:00pm Banjo Jack & Jeannette
1:00pm Brooks and Bobby Godin
2:00pm Chicken Dinner Road
3:00pm Alex DePue and Miguel De Hoyos
4:00pm Ken Worthington and Friends
5:00pm Michal Emert Lewis Gospel
6:00pm Silver Rail Band
7:00pm Sage Creek Band DANCE ON DANCE FLOOR
until 9:30
Friday
11:00am Squeaky Strings Missy Chambers
11:30pm Annie Hezeltine
12:00pm Moore Sisters
1:00pm Lance Smith
2:00pm Roundhouse Band
3:00pm Hoppers and Crump
4:00pm North Idaho Hat Band
5:00pm Dennis Cooper Harmonica
6:00pm Bobby Gibson
7:00pm Alex De Pue and Miguel De Hoyos
8:00pm To Be Announced
Saturday
11:00am Hoppers and Crump
12:00pm Godin Artists Bobby Gibson and Brooks E
1:30pm Irish Dance Idaho
2:30pm Fireman’s Hose Competition (on Liberty St.)
2:30pm Dennis Cooper
4:00ish COPS Raffle and Pigs N Pie Auction
BATTLE BAND: North Idaho Hat Band
BATTLE BAND: Roundhouse
BATTLE BAND: Jonathan Warren & the Billy Goats
BATTLE BAND: Cornbread
8:30pm High Desert Band
Admin @ June 11, 2010
Fiddle Week Volunteer Sign-Up Beginning
Posted in: Contest News Releases, Festival News Releases, General News Releases | Comments (0)
It is opportunity time once again at the National Oldtime Fiddlers Contest and Festival Headquarters . In less than a month, our town will be hosting visitors from as far away as Japan and Australia. There are some great opportunities to be part of the most prestigious fiddle contest and festival in the world. Jobs range from helping with registration, ticket sales, parade assistance, helping out at the City Park, running games on Kid’s Day, clean-up, set-up, and a whole lot more.
An incredible amount of work goes into these events. Contest and Festival organizers work year-round to make it happen. Things usually go so seamlessly that it may appear to the casual observer that it “just happens.” But no matter how hard the staff and board members work throughout the year, it would be impossible to get the job done without the army of volunteers that help. If you have been a volunteer before, you know how much fun it can be. If you have never taken advantage of this unique “job opportunity” this may be the year you would like to get involved.
There will be some new positions this year as the organizers are manning information, raffle ticket sales, beverage sales and “Friends of the Fiddle” promotional booths at the contest site and at Bluegrass Village City Park. These booths are intended to increase the revenue available to organizers as they deal with funding shortfalls.
“Non-profit corporations are having a very tough time nationwide as funding from corporate and private sponsors and grant funds that have previously been available have dried up. We are operating as economically as we can, and have done what we can to hold our costs down in anticipation of this. However, there are some corners that cannot be cut without damaging the integrity of the contest and diminishing the overall quality of the event citywide,” stated Festival Director Sandra Cooper.
Your help is needed more than ever before. The National Oldtime Fiddlers Contest and Festival needs your support to help it continue to bring substantial recognition and economic benefits to our community. Without the week-long influx of visitors attending and spending, our community could suffer extreme hardship. We all want our town to survive and thrive through this downturn. It is how our residents cooperate and pull together that will determine what our community becomes in the future.
If you are able to devote a few (or many) hours of your time to be part of this “national treasure,” come to Slocum Hall at 2235 Paddock Avenue (next to the Snake River Heritage Museum) and sign up. There are positions for responsible youngsters as well. There is a Godin Raffle Ticket Team forming as well. Ask about this fun and very beneficial fund-raiser. Be part of the solution to hard times! We will all benefit.
Admin @ June 10, 2010
Battle of the Bluegrass Bands
Posted in: Festival News Releases | Comments Off
We feature some great family-friendly acts on our Bluegrass Village Stage beginning at noon Tuesday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, we feature Bluegrass music beginning at 10 a.m. Bring your lawn chairs and umbrellas as bleacher seating is limited. Many large trees provide shady areas for a significant number of seats and add an old-fashioned flavor reminiscent of hot summer days spent strolling and picnicking in shady parks in the days before air-conditioning.
The highlight of the week on the Bluegrass Village Stage is the Battle of the Bluegrass Bands that takes place Saturday afternoon following our great parade. Come watch some of the Northwest’s best bluegrass bands vie for top honors and cash. Voting is done by your donations. The bands will have outstanding CDs for sale on site, so please come support these extremely talented folks with your purchases and donations. You will receive more than your money’s worth, we promise! We will be having the Pigs N Pies After-School Program Auction in conjunction with the Battle as a way to support this great local program for our kids. We have to get our law enforcement out on the streets by 6:00, so we have combined these two great activities. Auctioneer/2010 Parade Grand Marshal Joe Malay always makes this auction a belly laugh a minute event! COPS raffle winners will also be announced.
Three awesome Northwest bands are featured this year. You will love them!
Coming from the Rathdrum/Athol area of north Idaho we have the ‘North Idaho Hat Band’. Alex, Matthew and Christopher are three home-schooled young men who play many instruments well. They will amaze you!
From Boise, Idaho we have ‘Jonathan Warren and the Billy Goats.’ They are a diverse band that is well-known in the Treasure Valley and are regulars on the Boise music scene. A talented and versatile group of guys that will keep your toes a tapping.
Independence, Oregon is home to the members of ‘The Roundhouse Band’, and their musicianship and tight harmonies will give you goose-bumps. Their on-stage interaction with one another is lots of fun, too. Comedy and great music!
So come on down and spend the after-parade hours and evening with us at Bluegrass Village Saturday afternoon.
Great music, great fun, great shopping, food and beverages. Our Bluegrass Village Beverage Garden featuring ice cold Budweiser beers, St. Regulus local wines by the glass and Pepsi products is conveniently located to keep you refreshed.
Admin @ June 10, 2010
Five Free Games With Carnival Pre-Sale Tickets!
Posted in: General News Releases | Comments (0)
Buy your carnival tickets early and save BIG. If purchased before the cut-off time at closing Tuesday June 23, you will save $5.00 on cost of All-You-Can-Ride Wrist Band Tickets, plus you will receive 5 Free Games!
Tickets are $25.00 if purchased early. If purchased at the box office at carnival, they are $30.00 and there are no free games. Tickets are redeemed at the Carnival Box Office for All-You-Can-Ride Wristbands good for all day on the day that you choose, Wednesday through Saturday. Carnival hours are subject to weather conditions.
We want to thank these fine local businesses for helping to support our event by becoming ticket outlets! Be sure to thank them for their participation. And be sure to remember them when you need their services. Supporting local businesses and organizations helps to keep dollars in our community and that is a good thing for all of us!
Pick up tickets here: Ridley’s, Weiser Chamber of Commerce office, Intermountain Community Bank (ICB), Butterfly Kisses, Rural Network Services, National Oldtime Fiddlers office (2235 Paddock Ave) Bank of the West, Tenacity Salon and Piercing, Mountain Gem Credit Union, Zions Bank, Park Vu Pharmacy, Olsen’s Enterprises.
Admin @ June 10, 2010
Come Dance With Your Sweetie
Posted in: General News Releases | Comments (0)
Polish up your boots and buckles and join us on Thursday evening at the Bluegrass Village City Park entertainment stage. Dance to the Country Western sounds of the Sage Creek Band. These folks can keep you up and moving on the dance floor donated by Washington County Title. Don’t be shy, folks. Get up and shake a leg! Remember those old-fashioned Saturday night dances for the whole family? Enjoy that again from 7-9 p.m. Thursday night. Great, danceable music, food and beverages available and free to the public, but your donations at the entertainment stage are always welcome and help to offset our costs. The musicians love your tips as well. CDs are available for purchase. Come join us for the fun.
Admin @ June 10, 2010
2010 Fiddle Bus Hours
Posted in: General News Releases | Comments (0)
Hours of operation for the “Fiddle Bus” in 2010 will remain in reduced operation mode again this year. Due to the cost of operation and shortage in funding, the bus will be operating on-the-hour as it did in 2009. This helps keep our costs lower. Ridership numbers have also shown that operating the bus 90 hours-per-week is not necessary. We want to make it as easy as possible for our visitors to get around town to all the events and shopping, but our budget does not have funds to continue the old plan. Consequently, hours have remained reduced.
Hours of operation are hourly:
Monday-Thursday: 12 p.m.-9 p.m.
Friday 12 p.m.– 10 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m.– 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.-10 p.m. Note: Fiddle Bus will be shuttling parade participants back to Memorial Park after the parade, but will be resuming regular route when finished at approximately 2:00 p.m.
You can help us keep the Fiddle Bus running by donating to the box on the bus or at the donation box at the Information Booth at Bluegrass Village City Park. This bus is for the convenience of attendees and the benefit of businesses and organizations around town. We must cover the costs of fuel and the wages for the bus drivers. Gratuities to the drivers are appreciated, but the total cost of the bus operation is on the shoulders of the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest and Festival. Consequently, your donations to the NOTFC can help with that and will indicate that keeping the Fiddle Bus running in the future is important to you. Our thanks to our Fiddle Bus sponsors and everyone who supports our efforts by donating!
Admin @ June 10, 2010
Fiddle Week Facts
Posted in: General News Releases | Comments (0)
In less than two weeks our town will be transformed into the “Fiddle Capital of the World.” It is time to fill out your Fiddle Parade entries, buy your carnival tickets on sale now and get your tickets to the contest. Call the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ office at 414-0255 or visit either of their websites, www.fiddlecontest.com or www.weiserfestival.com for schedules, events and tickets. The official NOTFC Fiddle Guide will be available soon. Parade applications are downloadable on the festival website or may be picked up at the office at 2235 Paddock Ave.
There will indeed be a carnival, a parade, a full line-up of entertainment at City Park Bluegrass Village, featuring the Battle of the Bluegrass Bands and the Pigs N Pie Auction Saturday after the parade. The Fireman’s Hose Competition also takes place Saturday beginning at 2:30. Take the kids to City Park Friday for Kids’ Day, 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There will be loads of special fun activities for them. City Park Bluegrass Village has more quality vendors than ever before, so be sure to visit the booths while you are there.
If you have never attended the contest, bring a non-perishable food item on Monday night and get in free. Food donations are going to the local food banks. You might be tempted to buy a ticket and support the contest, a nationally-esteemed event that seems to be a mystery to many Weiser residents. There is more talent displayed on the contest stage than you could ever imagine, in contestants and the nightly world-class entertainment. You would pay many times the price of admission to see these folks in a concert elsewhere. Take advantage of this crown jewel right here in your own hometown. Additional information about activities is available on the websites or by calling the Fiddle Office.
Admin @ June 10, 2010
Kids’ Day at Bluegrass Village City Park
Posted in: General News Releases | Comments (0)
What goes better than kids, a park, music, and fun? Bring the kids on down to Bluegrass Village City Park from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday June 25. Come and enjoy lots of fun and activities for the young and young-at-heart. Be sure and wear sunscreen and a hat, and remember, no outside coolers will be allowed in the park this year, but there will be plenty of cold drinks and great food available on “Fiddle Vittles Road” with our food vendors. We will have some wonderful entertainment, fly-tying and casting demonstrations, steam-powered old-fashioned equipment, old-time farm machinery displays and demonstrations, a fish pond for prizes, trampoline room, face-painting, After-School Program Booth featuring , story time, mechanical bull rides, Smokey the Bear and a fire prevention puppet show, free balloons and more! Don’t miss it. We follow up with some of the area’s finest Bluegrass music for the remainder of the day and evening.
Admin @ June 10, 2010
2010 Fiddle Parade Grand Marshals
Posted in: General News Releases | Comments (0)
By Sandra Cooper
It is our privilege each year to honor some of Weiser’s citizens as our parade marshals. It is always difficult to choose because Weiser has so many worthy and civic-minded individuals, but each year there are those who stand out from the others.
The theme for this year’s parade is “Music is Art” to complement our wooden-fiddle painting contest. Music is an art form, but there are some individuals who have made living their lives works of art as well. We feel like our grand marshals for 2010 are in this category.
Our Senior Grand Marshal has spent most of her life in Weiser. She has received many well-deserved awards and recognitions over the past years, the most recent of which was her selection by Beta Sigma Phi Sorority as “First Lady of Weiser” for 2010. This annual award honors a woman deemed to have contributed much to the community on many levels. Pat Harberd meets all those criteria and more. Other awards she has received are The Community Star Award given by Intermountain Community Bank in 2007, the 1995 U. of I. Vandal Booster Distinguished Service Award, and 2004 Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year.
Pat has worn many hats over the course of her career and continues to be extremely active in this community.. She has been involved with the Girl Scout Brownies, Boy Scouts, 4-H, WHS Band Boosters, Guardian Council of Job’s Daughters, Weiser Library Trustee, Chapter T, P.E.O., Friends of the Hospital, and Snake River Heritage Center. She has worked at the Signal-American newspaper, Argus-Observer as reporter, Weiser News Company, U.of I. P.E. Department, Washington County Treasurer and Tax Collector, and was elected County Treasurer, retiring in 1998.
Pat has three children, Tim (Laurie) Harberd, Jim (Darla) Harberd, Lisa (Brad )Grover , seven grandsons, one granddaughter, and three great granddaughters. Pat loves her family and her community. We are honored to name her our 2010 National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Senior Parade Grand Marshal for 2010. Be sure and come wave at her during Saturday’s parade on June 26, the final day of Fiddle Week.
Our 2010 Grand Marshal is, conservatively speaking, a “colorful” individual. You may have seen him around town. He is pretty hard to miss. He is the one your mother had in mind when she told you not to wear red and orange together because they “clashed.” Thankfully, the idea of colors clashing has pretty well dropped by the wayside and this man has brought the concept of “brighter is better” to a whole new level. His eye-catching outfits are works of art in themselves, but even they are overshadowed by the joyfully flamboyant and genuinely affable personality of Joe Malay, who along with his wife Mary, are our 2010 Parade Grand Marshals. What words can you use to describe this gift of a man whose love for his fellow human beings is demonstrated in so many ways?
Joe has been Santa to hundreds of children of all ages. His Ho-Ho Express has brought joy to so many children who might have otherwise had a less than merry Christmas. He has been the hilarious host of so many local functions that he is a tough act to follow for all of the rest of us. Having a bad day? Not around Joe, you won’t. Think you’re pretty big stuff? Joe will take care of that! From gripping a golf club to manning his microphone, Joe is in his element as long as it involves his favorite thing, his fellow man, and doing what he can to make life better.
His wife Mary joins Joe as the anchoring part of the team. Mary has been Joe’s greatest fan, his loyal encourager, and patient companion. Mary is the conservative dresser of the two, but she can hardly be called shy. She is the wind beneath his wings, and as he is already pretty windy all by himself, that is a challenge. They have one daughter, Kari Anderson, who is married to Luke Anderson, and is mother to Alexandra Jo “Lexie”, who just happens to be the apple of Grandpa Joe’s eye. She will be the smaller of the two cute girls riding with Joe in the parade. She might be working on a rodeo queen wave for everyone, so come and wave back at her. I think she would like that.
Admin @ June 10, 2010
