Fiddling sounds around the Homestead

BEATRICE – A National Park celebrated music on Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend.  Over the past 25 years, minus one break for the Covid pandemic, the Homestead National Historical Park has held their Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival, featuring divisions of fiddlers based on their playing experience.

"There's a junior competition for anyone who has fiddled five years or less, a senior competition for anyone who's fiddled five years or more...and the legends competition for anyone who has won the competition in the past."

Homestead Chief Park Ranger Amy Genke says prize money is offered for the fiddle contest thanks to the help of The Coffin Family Foundation, the Friends of the Homestead organization and Nebraska Humanities.

Fiddle music, she says, was part of homesteading history.  "Without television, the radio and the internet, music played a really important role in homesteader's lives, just for that entertainment factor. And, then you can also think about how important music is in our lives today. That continues on, and it was no different for the early homesteaders, as well."

The National Park attraction four miles west of Beatrice is into its summer season of scheduled activities, which includes a June celebration and weekly events.
"Of course we have Homestead Days coming up at the end of June....there will be a campfire series starting on July 4th and we will also have daily ranger talks, at two o'clock."

Musicians Chris Sayre and Steve Hanson emceed the the Tallgrass Fiddle Festival, which was held on a stage in the bowl outside the park’s Education Center.
The festival has drawn contestants from several states, each of whom plays three tunes during the contest and can bring a backup acoustic musician. The festival also featured a fiddle workshop.

2022  Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival ResultsHomestead National Historical Park – May  28, 2022

Junior Division

1^st Place                          Name:  Lily Bohnart

                                          Town/State:  Lincoln, NE

2^nd Place                         Name:  Madeline Bock

                                          Town/State:  Lincoln, NE

3^rd Place                          Name: Caroline Soderlin

                                          Town/State:  Omaha, NE

Senior Division

1^st Place                          Name:  Grace Dowd

                                          Town/State:  Lincoln, NE

2^nd Place                         Name:  Elya Constable  

                                          Town/State:  Blue Rapids, KS

3^rd Place                          Name:  Kate Little

                                          Town/State:  Montana

Legends Division

1^st Place        Name: Jason Shaw, Lincoln NE Nancy Rohn