The Fiddler’s Picnic has been an annual event in Iowa City for more than 35 years. It is held on the third Sunday of September from noon to six at the Iowa City 4H Fairgrounds. It features a continuous stage show with many of Eastern Iowa's finest old-time, bluegrass, celtic, country, and folk musicians , free instrument workshops, a vintage instrument dealer showcase, parking lot jam sessions, food vendors, and a whole lot more. Workshops usually include banjo, mandolin, guitar, and of course, fiddle. It is a festival organized by and for musicians. Like a number of traditional music festivals, it features an open mike format. Many professional and semiprofessional local performers began their careers on the Fiddler's Picnic stage and continue to perform. Musicians who would like to play a 20 minute stage performance can contact the MC to sign up. Those wishing to enjoy the stage show can sit in the bleachers or bring a blanket and sit on the grassy hillside. In case of rain, the stage will be moved to one of the large showbarns. Workshops and the food and instrument vendors are located in smaller showbarrns. Admission is only $5 for adults, free for kids under 12. Since the picnic is our only fundraiser for the year, larger donations are encouraged.

Musicians wishing to sign up for a time slot should contact Dennis Roseman at dennis@fiddlerspicnic.org.

Music dealers should contact Guy Drollinger at guy@fiddlerspicnic.org.

Food vendors should contact Mike Haverkamp at mike@fiddlerspicnic.org.

View images of past
Fiddler's Picnics in the
IFOTM Digital Archive