The Virginia Folklife Program’s photographer Pat Jarrett joined Jon Lohman at the 78th Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. Here’s a photo recap of the week. All photos by Pat Jarrett/The Virginia Folklife Program.
Monday
For 78 years, a virtual city of 10,000 descend upon Felts Park in Galax for the week-long Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention.
Keana Dover, 10, left, of Shelby, North Carolina, practices with her sister Krissa Dover, 16, in the grandstands.
The Fiddlers’ Convention attracts the old and young alike, including Kaden Miller of Galax.
Legendary local pencil artist and musician Willard Gayheart, displaying his prints.
Children ready their instruments before the youth fiddle contest on Monday.
Carson Peters, 8, plays a fiddle near the big yellow tent on Monday, a week before his appearance on the Jay Leno Show!
The rain starts.
Avery Newman, 21, of Grayson County, had his left-handed mandolin signed by a cadre of musicians.
Chris Lundy stands outside a tent jam session
Dennis Hall of the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters.
Eddie Bond of the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters.
Roger Sprung, center, jams on Monday night.
Youth bands rehearse under the big yellow tent on Monday.
Jake Johnson, 12, of Galax watches the youth band contest.
Tuesday
Bill Birchfield competes in the fiddle contest.
Eve Capeheart of Richmond, Virginia, left, and Barbara Daniels of Richwood, West Virginia, dance during the fiddle contest.
Roger Poole onstage emceeing the fiddle contest on Tuesday.
Brennen Ernst of Leesburg, Virginia, right, warms up on guitar.
Photographer Mark Sanderford, center, put down his camera and picked up a fiddle in this jam session.
Keith Williams, left, of Chuckey, Tennessee, jams with Daniel Greeson of Jamestown, North Carolina.
It’s never an easy job for the judges.
Jamie Collins of Bristol plays bass while Danny “Hootenanny” Clark, left, plays fiddle in a jam in “the Ditch” on Tuesday.
Zach Carter tunes his banjo.
Wednesday
Bill Jones manning the grill at the notorious Roadkill Cafe. 
Buddy Pendleton, under the big yellow tent on Wednesday. 
Zach Carter of Blackwater, Virginia, left and John Goad of Kingsport, Tennessee, warming up.
B. K. Hodges of “the moonshine capital” Rocky Mount, Virginia, dances during a jam. 
Mary Edna says she travels “wherever the Lord tells me.” She runs the Soup Kitchen at the Fiddlers’ Convention, opening her doors for free soup after the contest stage closes every night of the convention.
Thursday
Camp power.
Danielle Yother, 14, waits in line to compete on Thursday. 
Luthier Wayne Henderson warms up before the guitar contest.
Chloe Mylet, right, and Andy Edmonds warm up before the guitar contest.
Friday
Jared Boyd tunes his banjo before jamming with the Dry Hill Draggers. 
Waynnie Hopkins from North Carolina danced with the Patrick Henry Travelers.
Martha Spencer and Erika Testerman hitting the dance floor.
Hal Wylie said he met Roger Sprung in Washington Square Park in New York City in the 1960s.
John Goad, second from left, reaches for the high note in a jam on Friday. 
Kill-basa Bill performs with the Kill-basa Bill Roadshow. 
Mike “Utter Mike” Leonard of Ash County, North Carolina, poses with his Utter Bass, a dual-washtub, one-string bass that he built. 
Bill Birchfield, center, plays fiddle in a jam at his campsite on Friday night.
Janice Birchfield of the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers plays her washtub bass.
Saturday
The 31st Yearly International Kazoo Championship and Parade was held at 3:33 on Saturday at the Galax Fiddlers’ Convention.
The judges are ruthless in the annual Galax Kazoo Championships.
Rex McGee dresses for the Kazoo Championship and Parade.
Aaron Lewis, of Special Ed and the Short Bus, riles up the crowd at the Kazoo Championships.
The Kazoo Parade.
The flatfoot dance competition.
