NEW ATHENS, Illinois — Five levels of competition for fiddlers and three for banjo pickers are featured in an Oct. 27 competition at L&B’s East End in New Athens, Ill., in the greater St. Louis area.The contests, which start at noon and are non-profit, are being sponsored by The Bluegrass Shack, a fiddle and instrument [...]

The Infamous Stringdusters
The Infamous Stringdusters are next up on the playbill of Bluegrass Legends Concerts in Evanston, Ill., which bills itself as “the only running bluegrass and acoustic music concert series in the Chicago area that features national headline bluegrass talent.
Tickets are now on sale for the Stringdusters’ show, scheduled for 8 [...]

Kenny and Amanda Smith
The 21st annual Greater Downstate Indoor Bluegrass Music Festival in Springfield, Ill., routinely draws a stellar lineup of stars, and following suit, a large gathering of bluegrass fans.This year’s festival is Nov. 9-11 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, just off Interstate 55 ( Exit 94) in Illinois’s capital city.
As has become standard [...]

Thrill of the Grill Competitors
ARTHUR, Ill. — Bluegrass and barbecue may have gotten to be too good a thing in the small central Illinois town of Arthur.For the past few years, the east central Illinois community played host to a weekend, sanctioned barbecue contest coupled with a big bluegrass jam. Trouble is too many [...]

Arcola, Illinois - This year’s Illinois State Old-Time Fiddle Contest will be held Sept. 2 at Rockome Gardens, an Amish-themed tourist spot near Arcola in east central Illinois. Grand prize to the Open Champion is $250, along with a trophy and a traveling trophy. Cash prizes are paid through fifth place in the open category.

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