Johnny you rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard, because there’s $500 on the line for first place in the first ever fiddle competition to be held at the Santa Rosa County Fair on April 2. Nationally known American bluegrass band Nu-Blu will be there to play and back up the contestants.
John Krause, owner of Darkhorse productions, said he first met Santa Rosa County Foundation members during the Gulf Coast Music Festival and offered his entertainment services for the fair’s 25th anniversary. Krause said people think of the same sort of things at the fair: livestock shows, rides, games and fair food. For this fair, Krause said, entertainment should become the headline to continue to draw customers. “In other words, entertainment is the hook.”
When Krause invited Nu-Blu to come to the fair and mentioned the fiddle contest, he said the band volunteered to stay an extra day and backup the fiddle contestants. Not only is Nu-Blu coming, Krause said, but the band is bringing Ohio state fiddle champion, Clint White. White is the band’s newest member, according to the Nu-Blu website playing not only fiddle but mandolin.
Nu-Blu isn’t the only band Krause helped line up for this fair’s entertainment. The Kyle Brooks Band is closing the fair, April 9. Krause described the band as country southern rock. TruGrass, Krause said, is a local Milton band playing at the fair. Reid Soria, with Autism Sings, will perform as well. Check out Soria’s story at www.autismsings.net.
Anyone interested in taking part in the fiddle contest needs to contact the Santa Rosa County Fair at 623-1115. Check out the full fair schedule at www.srcfair.com.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Fiddling around at the fair