Fiddlers draw their bows at O’Fallon ‘contest of champions’

George Portz is at it again.

Shiloh’s own National “Open” Fiddle Champion will give young fiddle players the chance to shine at the 37th annual George Portz O’Fallon Fiddle Contest and Bluegrass Show on Saturday at the O’Fallon Knights of Columbus Hall. The competition is also known as the “contest of champions” because 17 past champions and place winners have gone on to perform on WSM’s Grand Ole Opry. Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss won the 1982 contest.

The Thunder & Lightning Cloggers and harmonica champion Matt McElroy will open the show at 5 p.m., followed by the fiddlers contest at 5. A bluegrass and country music show with George and Friends of Bluegrass starts at 8:30. Fiddle contest finals are at 9:15, and awards are at 10. The winner of the fiddle raffle will be announced at 9:30. And, of course, George will emcee the whole shebang, so be ready for a groaner joke or two or three ...

Tickets are $7 for adults; $3.50 for children. There’s no entry fee for contestants.

All that bluegrass will be fiddlin’ with your appetite, so you can purchase dinners, sandwiches and refreshments served by the Knights of Columbus. The hall is at 402 E. U.S. 50 (across from O’Fallon Park).

Spring Wildflower Walk

Take a walk on the wild side from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Salt Lick Point Land and Water Reserve near Valmeyer.

Meet at the parking lot at 1309 Limestone Lane to join an expert-led group hike on the flat and easy Johnson Trail to learn about spectacular wildflowers in bloom. Or, walk the trail at your leisure, stopping at interpretive stations where attendants will point out wildflowers blooming nearby.

The walk is free and open to the public. It’s presented by the Salt Lick Stewardship Committee, the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission, Kaskaskia Valley Audubon Society and Clifftop.

Highland Art Affair

Art is alive and well and living in Highland.

The Highland Arts Council is having “An Art Affair” on Saturday evening as a kickoff fundraiser to match the National Endowment for the Arts $10,000 grant to design the Treehouse Art Gallery.

The event is from 7 to 10 p.m. at Lindendale Park Ballroom in Highland. Cost is $25 per person; call 618-558-0054 or go to the Highland Arts Council, 907 Main St. in Highland.

Entertainment includes magician Keith Jozef, music by Ninth and Washington, soloists from the Highland Community Chorus and performances by the Triad High School Drama Department. There will be a silent auction of art-related items, and refreshments including wine and hors d’oeuvres.

Come to the cabaret

Five X 5 Cabaret will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday in St. Paul United Church of Christ’s Heritage Hall, 115 W. B St. in Belleville.

The program features popular local cabaret performers Ethan Edwards, Liz Murphy, Katie McGrath, Neal Richardson and Alice Kinsella. A free-will offering will be received. Light snacks and punch will be available. The concert is part of St. Paul’s Fine Arts Series.

This story was originally published April 6, 2016 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Fiddlers draw their bows at O’Fallon ‘contest of champions’."