Fiddles & Folklife 2026 Celebrates Appalachian Music, Community and Tradition at Warren Wilson
Emma Taylor McCallum | April 14, 2026
On April 11, Warren Wilson College (WWC) hosted its annual Appalachian festival and old-time music competition, Fiddles and Folklife. With cash prizes for old-time fiddle, banjo, folksong, flatfooting and string band, students and community members gather every year from across the state to share music, dance and craft. While competitions were held in Bryson Gym, musicians gathered in small groups to jam in the formal gardens, so around every corner, a different tune could be heard. The event is organized by Natalya Weinstein Miller, a professor of traditional music at WWC, assisted by the students in her Appalachian Music Soundscapes class, who create educational materials and activities about the history and culture of music in Appalachia.
Eleanor Chen, a banjo player, ballad singer and longtime member of the Swannanoa Gathering community, emphasized the importance of continuing traditions and preserving culture.
“My impression is just exposing people to their culture,” Chen said. “I think old-time is really special. I think it's a really unique, like, multigenerational environment. It has a lot to offer in terms of non-traditional ways to learn. So anything that promotes that is good to me.”
“It’s just such a wonderful hub for the community,” John Cloyd Miller said, a professor in the music department and husband to the director of the festival, Weinstein Miller. "We have so many young people that come out and compete, and they just, they look forward to it all year long. We have so many of the same folks that come back every year. And you know, the students here are getting an opportunity to play and integrate traditional music into the larger community, and we get to show off, you know, our wonderful crafts, and it's just a really great, wonderful thing.”
Fiddles and Folklife is free, open to the public and an important part of traditional music at WWC and for the wider community. Whether you want to compete with fellow musicians from around the state or are just curious about ballad singing and want to sit in on a workshop, this festival creates the opportunity to celebrate culture, explore tradition and create community.