The 34th Annual Uncle Dave Macon Days Festival, started last night andwill run through Sunday at Cannonsburgh Village in Murfreesboro
The festival is home to the National Old-Time Championships in banjo,
clogging and buckdancing as proclaimed in 1986 by the U.S. House of
Representatives. The family-oriented event, which annually draws more than
40,000 attendees, features heritage activities for children, local
concessions, arts and crafts and more. This year’s Trailblazer Award will
be presented in honor of the Delmore Brothers, Alton and Rabon Delmore of
Elkmont, Ala., considered one of the best examples of brother singing acts
in country music. The event’s Heritage Award will honor singer, musician,
television host and historian David Holt.
The festival was established first as a two-hour banjo picking on the lawn
of the historic Rutherford County Courthouse on the public square to honor
the memory of Uncle Dave Macon. Uncle Dave lived near Murfreesboro in the
Kittrell community, and is considered the first Grand Ole Opry superstar.
A master old-time banjo player and performer, he died in 1952, and was
elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966.
