Rain didn’t put a dent in the 47th annual Fiddlers' Jamboree and Crafts Festival as a wet Friday gave way to a near perfect Saturday and a huge crowd that packed town square.
“It’s one of the biggest crowds I can recall in recent years of the Jamboree,” said County Mayor Tim Stribling as he looked out on the sea of people, thousands of whom filled Smithville Saturday.
The place was anything but packed Friday as a severe thunderstorm swept through town, pelting Jamboree goers with torrential rain and even hail. Mother Nature forced two delays in Friday’s competitions, one just after noon and the next in the late afternoon. Once competition did resume, it was done from underneath a large tent that was placed on the stage as precipitation continued to drizzle down for most of the evening. Dancing competitions were delayed until Saturday because of safety concerns.
Saturday not only saw the rain leave but also saw humid conditions, which had existed Friday, disappear as cloud cover and a gentle breeze drew festival goers to town.
Along with the competitions, Jamboree organizers welcomed an old friend back to Smithville. Award-winning fiddle player Michael Cleveland was presented the 2018 Blue Blaze Award from the Smithville Fiddlers' Jamboree & Crafts Festival Saturday evening.
Jamboree Marketing Director Shan Burklow made the introduction and Coordinator Sam Stout presented the award. Cleveland said he was pleased to have been chosen to receive the honor. Cleveland and his band Flamekeeper entertained the audience with a mini-concert after the presentation.
“It’s about having fun,” Cleveland told the Jamboree in accepting the award, telling young musicians to hone their craft by watching others who have experience. “I’ve learned a lot from other musicians over the years.”
Cleveland has won more IBMA awards than any other fiddle player including 10 wins for Fiddle Player of the Year, six wins for Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year, and fronts their 5-time Instrumental Group of the Year. On March 30th, Michael was inducted into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Cleveland has a very loyal fan base, along with an amazing story. Michael was born blind, along with many additional health complications. He has endured over 20 reconstructive surgeries including brain surgery. In addition to these challenges, he lost 80% of his hearing in his left ear. But Michael Cleveland is not a ‘glass half empty’ kind of guy. He prefers to focus on his goals, his love of music, and being the best in his field. Although only in his mid-30’s, Michael Cleveland, a 2018 Grammy Nominee, has reached plenty of those goals.
