FRIES, Va. – The Fries Volunteer Fire Department announced the cancellation of their Fiddler’s Convention after 56 years due to quote “unforeseen circumstances.”
The announcement was made on Facebook on Monday.
Their post said, in part, “The decision to cancel this time-honored tradition was not made lightly. After careful consideration, the FVFD concluded that the current circumstances and challenges associated with the time restraints coupled with financial restraints make it impossible to organize an event of this magnitude safely.”
Some locals said while the cancellation is not a surprise, the change in dates from after the Galax convention to before drastically affected turnout.
“They decided to have it the weekend before, which happens to be the same weekend as a huge festival in West Virginia, probably the biggest festival in West Virginia-- Cliff Top Festival,” said Eddie Bond, a Fries local and musician.
Ken Landreth was at the original Fries Fiddler’s Convention back in 1967. He said the date change, venue change, and the pandemic never allowed the convention to recover.
“I think the fire department was trying to find a way to improve it, but they made several mistakes, and those mistakes hurt even more,” Landreth said.
He said with the ties Fries has to country music, it would be a shame if this were the end.
“A lot of the music that you would consider Galax-style music or Southwestern Virginia music, evolved here in Fries,” Landreth said. “This is where it started.”
He said he hopes the town will pick up the event to continue the legacy of the music in the region.
Read their full release below.