The Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship was held Saturday on the Leitchfield Town Square, as the event dodged rain showers during the afternoon before ending with a stirring, rain-free concert by The Grascals … (the bluegrass band’s rendition of Mystery Train was epic. Ask anyone who was there).
The precipitation delayed the competition for a short time before the event moved inside to The Alice Theater.
“This year a thunderstorm caused a rain delay of two hours and required that we switch to our rain indoor venue stage to complete the contest,” event organizer Ed Carnes said. “By the time the contest finished, the rain had stopped, the main outdoor stage had dried out, and The Grascals were able to perform their concert for a good size crowd.”
This year’s Fiddle Grand Champion was Daniel Carwile, of Lexington.
Carwile, who performed a rousing rendition of the National Anthem to kick off the competition, is a former Grand Master Fiddler Contest champion, Carnes noted, in addition to being a distinguished fiddle and strings instructor (along with his wife Amy).
There were 107 contestants in the six fiddling, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and dancing categories. The contestants hailed from 10 states, with some entries traveling from as far away as Arizona.
Additionally, a youth movement stormed the stage on Saturday, as 51 percent of the entries were 17 or younger.
“So, the contest is doing well in our goal to encourage (young) people to get involved in fiddle and bluegrass music,” Carnes said.
Find the complete Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship results by clicking here. https://www.twinlakesfiddler.com/fiddler-championship/past-winners/2025/
(Headline photo l-r: Kadence Edgington, Junior Junior Champion: Tyler Andal, Young Adult Champioin, courtesy of Twin Lakes National Fiddler Championship)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
