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Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance! Come out to the 6th Annual Fall Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance this October 8 th - 11th! Tickets on sale now at www.shakorihills.org

Musicians’ CD Sales Tent!

Hoppin’ John will sell your CDs for you! If you have made a cd and wish to sell it at the convention, bring a box to the Contest Registration Table, make a $10 donation, and collect your sales and remaining CDs on Saturday night.

Banjo Prize & Raffle

Zepp’s Music & Ramsey Banjos are sponsoring this year’s Banjo Contest. The first place winner will receive a commemorative, one-of-a-kind banjo! A less ornate edition will also be up for raffle. Click here

for more information!

Children’s Workshop

Join other young musicians and learn to play and sing a simple old time tune together as an ensemble. Bring your own instrument or use one of ours. One-on-one instruction will be offered for each instrument.It‘s a great way to expose your child to playing a variety of commonly used string band instruments.

Workshop will be led by Tim Wells, of several local bands. Tim brings a breadth of experience to this new offering at Hoppin’ John, having taught children ages 3 - 14 for the last 15 years.

Shape Note Singing!

The Sacred Harp Shape Note Singers will be singing in the dance tent on Sunday morning at 10am! Check ‘em out and join in before you pack and go home!

Thanks for a great Hoppin’ John Fiddlers’ Convention!

....and a good time was had by all! Though it looked like it might, the rain didn‘t settle on Shakori Hills last weekend. Musicians from nearby and far away gathered on the beautiful old farm to celebrate and play together. Thanks to everyone who came out and made it a success--we’ll see you at next year’s Hoppin’ John, if not before, at the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival on October 8th - 11th!

Below are this year’s winners:

Old Time Fiddle: 1st-- Steve Kruger; 2nd--Andy Cahan, 3rd--David Hughes

Bluegrass Fiddle: 1st-- Debbie Gitlin; 2nd-- Brian English; 3rd-- Kenneth Woods

Old Time Banjo: 1st-- Kevin Fores; 2nd-- Nancy Sluys; 3rd-- Andy Cahan

Bluegrass Banjo: 1st-- David Thornberry; 2nd-- Benny Lilly; 3rd-- Steven James

Guitar: 1st-- David Hughes; 2nd-- Pat Lyons; 3rd-- Margaret Martin

Mandolin: 1st-- Brian Schmiel; 2nd-- Jim Collier; 3rd-- Zack Mondry

Folk Song: 1st-- Allison Williams; 2nd-- David Hughes; 3rd-- Steve Kruger

Bass: 1st-- Bill Sluys; 2nd-- Allison Williams; 3rd-- Harold Clapp

Youth Musicianship: 1st-- Corey Smith; 2nd-- Nellis Smith; 3rd-- Cassie Lilly

Dance: 1st-- Justin Robinson; 2nd-- Aaron Ratcliffe; 3rd-- Forest Doyle

Youth Dance: 1st--Rose Houch; 2nd-- Ara Houch; 3rd-- Ian Madden

Tim A. Brown Memorial Hoppin’ John

Old Time & Bluegrass Fiddlers’ Convention

Tribute to a warrior.

“Timothy Ashley Brown, that irrepressible, irresistible, most original force of nature, our very own fighting man and space ranger, has laughed his last on this green earth. Handsome devil, blues harpist, electric mandola, keyboard, and suitcase player, singer, songwriter, leather worker, jeweler, metal sculptor, brilliant raconteur, funniest man around, smoker, apple pie baker, porkchop and maple syrup lover, guicken wrangler, sometimes cranky, often inscrutable, never dull, Timmy Brown filled a hole in our hearts that we didn't even know we had until he walked through the door.” (- by Diana Andersen)

It’s a long mouthful, but we’re naming the Hoppin’John in honor of Tim Brown for giving the event its name, helping to get the whole thing started, just being himself, and taking impeccable care of all the life – land, critters, people & things-- at Shakori Hills.