What turns a city into a place you want to call home? What gives it its edge over its rivals? When every city begins to look a bit alike, what lets some cities either big or small creates a special allure, develop as a powerful brand, or just become known as the ideal place to do business?

So what makes a city fail or work, is if it can deliver Quality of Life!

Quality of Life is a reflection of both the hard and the softer elements of city and rural living. And it's not just about wealth. This is about shared experiences - a community that's inclusive, but works for all.

So it's kayaking in the shadow of our beautiful Elk River. It's about Mooresville’s quiet historic village, nestled between larger cities continuing to inspire others with their Early 19th century architecture.

Though we have many challenges facing our communities; how do we maintain the city's heart, create homes for all, and add to our city’s density without buckling services; all while maintaining life and vitality on our streets?

Parts of the solutions are simple in that many of the things that create quality of life are inexpensive, such as places to assemble while enjoying a beautiful water fountain, or biking the many miles of charted trails.

Fortunately, we have begun expanding on our Southern Makers with independent retail and locales where you can still craft foods and merchandise and have personal tours at such locations as Belle Chevre Creamery and Robin Wade furniture.

However, our city also needs to hold on to what makes her unique. That's why people seek out the distinctive festivals like our Fiddlers Convention and Storytelling and the unusual such as our Grease Festival and our culture in our Alabama Veterans Museum & Athens State University.

We are blessed with talented musicians performing at our monthly concert series in the park and artists teaching and delighting us in our High Cotton Arts. We also provide oral historic history during our Cemetery Strolls and Historic Walks.

This is why people fall for our communities, which in some ways, have lived past other’s sell-by dates.

Athens-Limestone County Tourism is anxious to show you what they will enjoy bringing to our county in 2016. Each year they are preparing new and exciting experiences for our communities and our guests. Helping to bring new life & business to Limestone County physically and passionately and to convey the quality of experiences is what Athens-Limestone County Tourism offers to every resident and visitor. 

     

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association
PHONE: 256.350.3500 / 800.648.5381
EMAIL: info@northalabama.org
50 Years of Fiddling Fun

Set for October 6-8, 2016, the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention returns to the campus of Athens State University, located in Athens, Ala. Also known as “Granddaddy of Midsouth Fiddlers Conventions,” the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention celebrates its 50th anniversary of honoring traditional old-time music and along with the selecting a new Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddle Champion, this year’s event includes special performances by bluegrass band Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top X-Press, American Western music and comedy group Riders in the Sky and Americana and folk musicians Norman Blake, Nancy Blake and James Bryan.
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Along with 15,000 visitors, the two-day event attracts more than 200 musicians who will be vying for over $18,000 in prize money in 18 different categories, including several fiddle and guitar categories, harmonica, mandolin, bluegrass banjo, dulcimer, old time singing, banjo, and buck dancing. The Convention culminates in a "fiddle-off," between the top two fiddlers. The winning fiddler is declared "Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddle Champion," and takes home a trophy and a $1,200 cash prize. Competition gets underway Friday at 7 p.m. and resumes Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

A special 50th anniversary concert featuring Bobby Osborne and Rocky Top X-Press (www.bobbyosborne.com) is planned for Thursday, October 6 at 7 p.m. in McCandless Hall. Admission is free and seating is limited. Friday night’s special guest performer on the Alabama Farmers Cooperative Stage is Riders in the Sky (www.ridersinthesky.com). Show times are at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Saturday at 5 p.m., entertainment is provided by Norman Blake, Nancy Blake and James Bryan.

The convention also includes a variety of food vendors and approximately 150 old-fashioned arts and crafts booths offering an assortment of items from traditional artwork to coal-fired metal works.
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Admission is $15 on Friday and $15 on Saturday or $20 for both days. Children under 12 years old are admitted free with a parent. Gates open at 8 a.m. on Friday and at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. Competitions are held on the steps of Founders Hall on the Alabama Farmers Cooperative Main Stage and the Brown Hall Stage. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. In event of rain, it will be held in the gymnasium with limited capacity. Pets and coolers are not allowed. For more information, visit www.athens.edu/fiddlers or call Terry Stepp at 256.233.8241.