ATHENS – Athens-Limestone Tourism Bureau will host a select group of esteemed travel writers who will descend on Athens this weekend for the 50th Anniversary Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddler’s Convention.
The travel writers will be taking in the sight and sounds while sampling local cuisine of Athens over the course of the weekend on the last leg of their North Alabama tour following stops in nearby Huntsville and Muscle Shoals.
The writers who will be documenting their experience include:
Judy and Len Garrison of Atlanta, Georgia whose work can be seen in Georgia Connector Magazine, Deep South Magazine, Southern Hospitality Traveler, Blue Ridge County, Simply Buckhead, GoNomad, US Airways Magazine, as well as on SeeingSouthern.com.
Vivian Vassos – Executive Editor, Zoomer Magazine for Baby Boomers out of Toronto, Canada.
Gina Samarotto – Editor-in-Chief, Private Air Magazine out of New York. Principal and Founder of Samarotto Design Group.
Karen Hamlin – Recipient of two first prize NATJA awards for travel destination essays and has been published in national and regional magazines including L.A. Times, The Herald Tribune, Big Apple Times, travel editor of City & Suburban Magazine.
Jennifer Billock – Clients include, but are not limited to, National Geographic Traveler, The New York Times, Smithsonian, Playboy, Disney Books, Yahoo Travel, Luxury and Boutique Hotels, Readers Digest, FlyerTalk, Mental Floss, Midwest Living, PPI Group, F+W Media, Marie Claire, Illinois Department of Tourism, Michigan State University Press, Conde Nast Traveler, Perfect Promotions, Lucky Peach, Barilla Pasta.
Kim Schneider – Regular travel column and features for Booth Newspapers, Midwest Living, Traverse Magazine, Michigan Blue, Our Mississippi and other publications such as Hearthside Grove Resort/Motorcoach Living Magazine;
2011 “Mark Twain Travel Writer of the Year”
The tour has been organized in collaboration with Ms. Verna Gates, contributor to Troy Public Radio, former reporter for Reuters and TIME Magazine. She was also one of the original crew who launched CNN. Ms. Gates is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Federation of Press Women.
“The Fiddler’s Convention is a time-honored, cherished tradition that has blossomed into the perfect opportunity to spend a weekend in Athens. The entire city comes alive with the flavescent leaves and sounds of bluegrass and it is a wonderful time to kick off the fall season,” says Teresa Todd, Athens-Limestone County Tourism Director. “We are very proud of how much the Fiddler’s Convention has grown and to be able to share its rich history with these notable authorities on all things travel is a real privilege.”
The semi centennial Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddler’s Convention will take place this weekend, October 6-8.
The convention has historically attracted more than 15,000 people for the Friday and Saturday competitions, with more than 200 musicians participating. There are 20 different categories, including several fiddle and guitar categories, harmonica, mandolin, bluegrass banjo, dobro, dulcimer, old time singing, banjo, and buck dancing.
For more information on the Convention, please visit www.athens.edu/fiddlers/
Media Release/Athens-Limestone Tourism Bureau
