The following list includes traditional music competitions and contests of all sorts, with categories including fiddle and other instruments, bands, singing, and dancing. Exact contest rules vary widely. Check website or call the phone number provided for information about exact dates and times, location, and contest categories and details. If you’d like to add an event to this listing or update information, please contact the Folklife Program staff. For more information on the history of traditional music contests in the state read Fiddle and Old Time Music Contests in Tennessee.
East Tennessee Young Musicians Bluegrass Contest (Rogersville), late February
State of Tennessee Old-Time Fiddlers’ Championships (Clarksville), late March
West Tennessee Old-Time Bluegrass and Fiddler’s Jamboree (Holladay), mid April
Uncle Jimmy Thompson Bluegrass Festival (Granville), late May
Hillbilly Days (Lafayette), mid June
Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Crafts Festival (Smithville), early July
Uncle Dave Macon Days (Murfreesboro), early July
Bluegrass Along the Harpeth Fiddlers Jamboree (Franklin), late July
Williamson County Fair Bluegrass Festival (Franklin), mid August
Laurel Bloomery Fiddlers Convention (Laurel Bloomery, Johnson Co.), late August
Wilson County Fair Bluegrass Competition (Lebanon), late August
Smoky Mountain Fiddlers Convention & Crafts Fair (Loudon), early September
Bell Witch Old-Time Bluegrass Competitions (Adams), mid September
Grand Master Fiddle Championship (Nashville), late September
Harvest Moon Festival (White House), early October: 615 / 672-2265
