14th Annual
Old Time Music Competition

Saturday, October 31st
10:30am – 6:00pm
Courthouse Gazebo (East Main Street)

No festival would be complete without music. And Brevard offers some of the best in mountain music when the downtown hosts the Old Time Music Competition.

Now in its 14th year, this competition attracts musicians as far as Florida who come not only to compete, but to share with their fellow musicians a musical form that will not be forgotten.

Musicians can compete in several categories!

Schedule of Categories’ Competitions
10:30am Junior Fiddle 1st Place: $25 2nd Place: $15
11:00am Folk Song 1st Place: $50 2nd Place: $25
12:00pm Lap Dulcimer 1st Place: $50 2nd Place: $25
12:45pm Old Time Banjo
1st Place: $100 2nd Place: $50 3rd Place: $25
2:30pm Old Time Fiddle
1st Place: $100 2nd Place: $50 3rd Place: $25
3:30pm Mandolin 1st Place: $50 2nd Place: $25
4:00pm Guitar 1st Place: $50 2nd Place: $25
4:30pm Banjo Finals
5:00pm Fiddle Finals
8:00pm Old String Time Band Competition (Courthouse – Large Courtroom)

1st Place: $250 2nd Place: $150 3rd Place: $100

*Musicians and audience will need to go through Security Check-point, in order to attend Old Time String Band Competition*

Download an application now!

Thanks to Mary Gordon of Celestial Mountain Music and Lo Gordon of Cedar Mountain Banjos to being the founders of this wonderful event!

Sponsored by Celestial Mountain Music.

Contact them at 828.884.3575 for more information.
Celestial Mountain Music

Celestial Mountain Music, owned by Lo & Mary Gordon, opened on Main Street in Brevard in May, 1995; a music store dedicated to the acoustic string musician. They have continued to offer instruments, accessories and lessons which cater to bluegrass, old time, Celtic, folk, and classical players. In the summer of 1995, the Heart of Brevard came to Celestial Mountain Music, seeking assistance in holding a mountain music competition in connection with the Halloween festival. The competition was duly organized, musicians invited, and there were 17 participants that first year, with all the individual contests and the band contest taking place on the courthouse gazebo between the hours of 10 AM & 5 PM. These days, the band contest has moved to evening hours due to the increase in participants — currently around 70. The contest focuses on traditional styles of string music, (old time), performed on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass, dulcimer, and voice, rather than bluegrass, Celtic, or contemporary. Celestial Mountain Music is proud to be a sponsor of this event, which is anticipated and enjoyed by the participants, local music lovers, and visitors.
Cedar Mountain Banjos

Cedar Mountian Banjos, founded by Lo Gordon, began in 1995, when he began building open back five-string banjos for discriminating customers. The company took the name of Cedar Mountain Banjos a couple of years later. Lo Gordon is pleased to continue offering banjos made of the finest quality materials, all hand made wood parts, using mahogany, rosewood, maple, and cherry; and hand rubbed varnish finishes. Three years ago, Tim Gardner, Lo & Mary’s son, began working in the company, and to date, Cedar Mountain Banjos number in the 400’s. In order to help preserve, and to make listeners enthusiasts of old time music, and old time banjo in particular, Cedar Mountain Banjos has been the sponsor of the banjo contest at Halloweenfest for the last several years.
2008 Old time music competition sponsors

* Celestial Mountain Music
* Cedar Mountain Banjos
* Jim Clinton Violins
* Gloria & Jerry Clouse
* Quotations Coffee Cafe’
* The White Squirrel Shoppe, Inc.
* The Transylvania Times
* Bluewood Gallery
* The Proper Pot
* Carolina Connection
* Harris ACE Hardware

2008 old time music competition results

Old Time String Band (7 bands)

1st Place: Hogtown Squealers

2nd Place: Trek or Treat

3rd Place: Mason Jar Drinkers

Old Time Fiddle (9 contestants)

1st Place: Nick Hallman

2nd Place: Chris Casbarro

3rd Place: Sarah Rubin

Old Time Banjo (10 contestants)

1st Place: Chip Arnold

2nd Place: Mary Cox

3rd Place: Neil Carroll

Folk Song (16 contestants)

1st Place: Emily Johnson-Erday

2nd Place: Hilary Dirlam

3rd Place: Chris Casbarro

Guitar (7 contestants)

1st Place: Tommy Jordan

2nd Place: Corey Johnson-Erday

3rd Place: Marshall Goers

Mandolin (5 contestants)

1st Place: Marshall Goers

2nd Place: Nick Hallman

3rd Place: Billy Berger

Lap Dulcimer (4 contestants)

1st Place: Alan Freeman

2nd Place: Jesse Norton

3rd Place: Nick Hallman

Junior Fiddle (10 contestants)

1st Place: Gracey Carrick

2nd Place: Kristy Stodola

3rd Place: Akylar Gilstrap

2008 old time music competion thank-you

Special thanks go to all of our sponsors!

Judges: Alan Freeman, Kellie Allen, Pete Peterson, Mary Z. & Bob Cox

Volunteers: Rod Getz, Roger Butz, Johnny Holden, Dave Abell, JoAnne Murphy, Pat McConnell, Kathy & Nick Neilly, Glenn Fleming, Cindy Roy, and Lyle Reedy

Sound Staff: Terina Plyler, Billy Berger, Rutledge Leland, & Mary Gordon