Sunday’s “Whiskey Before Breakfast” Jam starts at 9:00 AM under the big tent at the Rose Bowl Tavern!

Keep an eye on our FaceBook Event page for the latest updates on Sunday activities

This year’s jam will be Saturday, June 11 through Sunday, June 12, 2022. 

Thanks to grant funding from Urbana Arts & Culture, we are able to expand our offering this year to include old-time jams, more clinics and workshops, plus free concerts and our first ever Fiddle Anti-Contest*!  Schedule and details below!

The festivities will all be held in Urbana, at C4A, Rose Bowl Tavern, and Meadowbrook Park.

Grade school through high school age string players may participate in any or all of these sessions:

• Fiddle Orchestra 10am-12pm on Saturday, 1:00 pm warm-up and 3:00 pm concert on Sunday (registration required, $5 fee, scholarships available)
• Saturday workshops ($5 fee, scholarships available)
• Sunday showcase performance (included in Fiddle workshop)
• Open jam after Patt & Possum concert Saturday night (no registration, no fee)
• “Whiskey Before Breakfast” open jam Sunday morning 9:00 am (no registration, no fee)
• Fiddle Anti-Contest Sunday 3:00 pm (No fee to watch; registration & $5 to play, scholarships available)

Community members may participate in any or all of these sessions:

• Traditional open jam Saturday 10am-12pm (No fee or registration required)
• Saturday workshops and optional Sunday showcase performance (Registration required; $5 for each workshop; scholarships available)
• Open jam after Patt & Possum concert Saturday night (No registration or fee)
• “Whiskey Before Breakfast” open jam Sunday morning 9:00 am (No registration or fee)
• Fiddle Anti-Contest Sunday 3:00 pm (No fee to watch; registration & $5 to play, scholarships available)

Everyone is invited to attend these free concerts!

• Patt & Possum, Saturday 7:00 pm
• Showcase concert & Fiddle Anti-Contest, Sunday 3:00 pm

Online registration forms are now live!

Online registration for students aged 18 and under (requires parent/guardian signature)

Online registration for community members aged 18 and up

Want to help? Here’s our signup sheet for volunteers!

Thanks also to these folks for supporting this event!

• Cinema Gallery
• Illinois Arts Council Agency & National Endowment for the Arts
• Techline
• Urbana Park District

SCHEDULE (more details listed below the schedule)

SATURDAY, JUNE 11

SATURDAY, JUNE 11

10:00 am to 12:00 pm. TRADITIONAL OPEN JAM led by local fiddler, Laura Sleade.

There is no charge to participate in any of the jams this weekend–just come on by and join us if you play fiddle, banjo, guitar, bass, mandolin, or anything else that works in an old-time jam!  Experienced jammers and novices are all welcome. Most of us will be playing by ear during open jams, but there may be a limited supply of sheet music or chord charts. 

10:00 am to 12:00 pm. FIDDLE ORCHESTRA led by Robin Kearton with lots of friends

• For grade school through high school age string players.
• We’ll learn be introduced to fiddle tunes in the larger group, break into smaller groups to work on them, then come back and play them in the big group again. When we’re all together again we will work up our arrangements that we will perform at the showcase concert on Sunday!
• Registration required. Online registration (parent/guardian signature required)
• $5 fee to participate includes all materials, Saturday lunch, Sunday warmup and showcase performance. Scholarships available; you can tell us on the payment form linked in the online registration.

WORKSHOPS: Saturday at C4A or Rose Bowl Tavern’s tent. Workshops are for learning about a specific style or technique. We are offering workshops suitable for a variety of interests and skill levels! We will offer multiple workshops during some time slots–choose the one you want to attend! Please check above for the schedule, and below for details about workshop content. Workshops are $5 for one, $10 for two, $15 for three, and $15 for four (4 for the price of 3!) Scholarships are available–just mention it on your registration form.

Online registration forms are now live!

Online registration for students aged 18 and under (requires parent/guardian signature)

Online registration for community members aged 18 and up

Sign up to help out behind the scenes

Workshop period #1: Saturday at 12:45 pm. “Trick and Fancy” Fiddling! With Charlie Walden, Jessie Stark, & friends!

• Open to community members and participants of the Fiddle Orchestra.
• Let’s have some fun with our fiddles! From stunt-fiddling (think hula-hooping while playing!) to special sound effects with your instrument, to playing novelty pieces, trick and fancy fiddling is all the fun stuff we’re not usually “allowed” to do!
• At Rose Bowl Tavern tent
• Registration required.

Workshop period #2: Saturday at 2:00 pm. Choose from “Fiddle/Sax”, “Piano Comping for Fiddle Tunes”, or “Slow/Beginner Jam”

• Open to community members and participants of the Fiddle Orchestra.
• Choose from the following options.
• “Fiddle/Sax” with Brian & Jessie Stark: For fiddlers and wind instrument players with at least a few years experience
  • Wind players! Learn to play cool fiddle tunes, harmonize, and take solo breaks
  • Bowed string players! Learn how to play backups and harmonies!
  • At Rose Bowl Tavern tent
  • Registration required; see link below.
• “Piano Comping for Fiddle Tunes” with Patt Plunkett
  • For people who play piano and would like to learn about playing with fiddlers and playing those cool harmonies and bass lines!
  • At C4A
  • Registration required; see link below.
• Slow Beginner Jam with Robin Kearton.
  • For people who can play their instrument but don’t play very fast, or are not used to playing by ear. Instruction will be offered as needed.
  • Especially for fiddle, viola, and guitar players, but all are welcome.
  • Registration required for kids under 18. Adults can just drop in.
  • Online registration for students aged 18 and under (requires parent/guardian signature)
  • At C4A

Workshop period #3: Saturday at 3:15 pm. “Cross Tuning Fiddles” with Kathleen Everingham

• Tuning your strings to non-standard pitches makes it easy to play drones and gives your fiddle a special and very cool sound! Kathleen will show you how it’s done and teach you a few tunes for cross-tuned fiddle.
• For fiddle players with at least a few years playing experience.
• Registration required.
• Online registration for students aged 18 and under (requires parent/guardian signature)
• Online registration for community members aged 18 and up

Workshop period # 4: Saturday at 4:30 pm. “Dressing up a Fiddle Tune” with Charlie Walden.

• Learn some tricks you can use to embellish a tune and make it your own! Charlie with give you tips on how to customize your tune for recitals, contests, or just for your own enjoyment!
• Registration required;
• Online registration for students aged 18 and under (requires parent/guardian signature)
• Online registration for community members aged 18 and up

7:00 pm Saturday: FREE CONCERT featuring PATT & POSSUM!

At Rose Bowl Tavern tent, 106 N Race Street, Urbana

• Warmup set by local artists, Fiddle Sax Fusion Band
• Five-time Illinois state fiddle champ, Charlie Walden, and his trusty accompanist, Patt Plunkett, will spin out tunes in a variety of styles for your listening pleasure!
• Followed by open jam led by Charlie & Patt starting around 9:00 pm.

Online registration is now live!

Online registration for students aged 18 and under (requires parent/guardian signature)

Online registration for community members aged 18 and up

SUNDAY, JUNE 12

9:00 AM Sunday. “Whiskey Before Breakfast” TRADITIONAL OPEN JAM with lots of fiddlers! Everyone welcome!

At Rose Bowl Tavern tent, 106 N Race Street, Urbana

• Coffee also available!
• Open jam for experienced or novice jammers!

1:00 PM Sunday. FIDDLE ORCHESTRA WARM-UP & REVIEW

• You must attend Saturday sessions to participate

3:00 PM Sunday. SHOWCASE CONCERT AND FIDDLE ANTI-CONTEST!

At Garden Pavilion at Meadowbrook Park, 2808 S Race Street, near the organic gardens, just south of Clark Lindsey Village.

Free performances by local bands Bones Jugs and Meadowhawk.

Showcase performances by the weekend Fiddle Orchestra, Fiddle/Sax workshop, and more!

The Fiddle Anti-Contest will give participants a chance to play a solo for an audience and receive comments from our judges, but we think everyone who does this is a winner, and we prefer to support each other rather than competing, so we will not rank the performances!

• You must register to perform in the anti-contest.
• The registration fee is $5. Scholarships are available in the case of financial need. Just enter your request on the payment form linked in the online registration.
• There is no charge to attend the anti-contest. Everyone is invited to come and watch the anti-contest and cheer on your special player!

Online registration is now live!

Online registration for students aged 18 and under (requires parent/guardian signature)
Online registration for community members aged 18 and up

If you’re coming from out of town email us and we can point you to lodging. [email protected]

If you don’t play you can still participate!  We’d love it if you’d volunteer to help out at the jam, especially feeding the musicians, and keeping the coffee pot stoked.

Here’s the link to our volunteer signup page!

Want to play?  Want to volunteer? Want more information? [email protected]