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Event: Old Timer's Cup at Jomeokee
Campground and Music Park
Date:
1st weekend in
October. Friday and Saturday nights: 6pm—until
Type:
Fiddlers' convention with contests and prizes in variety
of categories at historic, scenic music park. (Lester
Flatt once owned this property and held bluegrass
festivals here.) Bring lawn chairs; concessions and
camping available.
Opportunities for Participation:
This event is geared toward participation, as it is a
fiddlers’ contest. There are also opportunities for
jamming.
Location: Exit
129 off Hwy 52 in Pinnacle (Perch Road, Pinnacle, NC
27043)
Cost: $7, 13
and under free. $10 camping fee.
Parking:
Free. Accessible for bus tours.
Special Needs Access:
Yes. There are handicapped-accessible bathrooms and
shower house.
Signage: Signs
at major intersections read “Jomeokee Music Festival”
SpoSponsors:
Sponsors include a variety
local businesses.
Web Site:
http://www.jomeokee.net/
Contact:
Ralph McGee
Phone: 336.983.4951
E-mail:
Ralph@kingmusiccenter.com
Description of Event:
This fiddlers’ convention has contests in fiddle, banjo,
mandolin, guitar, dobro, bass and band. There is a $200
first prize in each category. Concessions and camping
are available. Event organizers recommend bringing lawn
chairs and dressing prepared for fall evenings.
History of Site/Event:
Gray McGee and the Pinnacle Volunteer Fire Department
began this event in the 1960s. In 1975, bluegrass
pioneer and legend, Lester Flatt, bought the property,
and between 1974 until 1979, held bluegrass festivals at
the site each summer. In 1979, Mr. Flatt sold the
property. In the late '80s and '90s, Jomeokee was site
to the WTQR radio family reunion, which featured
top-line Nashville country acts. In 2006, Ralph McGee
resurrected the event Gray McGee began over 40 years
ago.
Description of Site/Facility:
Beautiful Pilot Mountain is
directly behind the stage, which sits on a natural
amphitheater. Pilot Mountain State Park is nearby. Jomeokee
means “great
guide” or “pilot” from
the language of the Saura Indians, who once inhabited
this scenic area.
Significance of Site/Event to the
Community: Jomeokee Park is a
significant part of the area’s traditional music
history, and over the years, some of the best bluegrass
acts in the region and country have played here. With
help from the Stokes County Arts Council and the current
owners of the park, event organizer Ralph McGee has
resurrected and preserved this important part of the
region’s rich musical heritage.
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PHOTOS:
courtesy
www.jomeokee.net
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