Every third week of June, Weiser transforms from a quiet agricultural town into the capital of American fiddle music. The National Old Time Fiddlers' Contest has been running since 1953 and draws competitors from across the country in categories spanning junior novice through senior champion. The official competition takes place in a large tent venue, but the real magic happens in the informal jam sessions that break out in parks, parking lots, and front porches all over town.
The music is old-time American fiddle — not bluegrass, not country, though there's kinship with both. The tunes are older and the feel more austere. Watching an eight-year-old play a hundred-year-old tune with complete authority, then seeing a retired farmer do the same thing in a completely different style, is one of those experiences that makes American regional culture feel vivid and alive. If you have any interest in roots music, time a trip here.