Arts-Entertainment
Grab your fiddle, add a guitar and a banjo or two, and you have all it takes to make some of the best music anywhere. On Friday, August 1st through Sunday, August 3rd at the Mercier Ranch, south of Livingston on U.S. Hwy. 89 South. The music starts playing at around noon on Friday. It continues into the wee hours of the morning until the last of the musicians are too tired to play. On Saturday at noon, the potluck/barbeque is sure to please. On Sunday, they start off with a morning gospel jam, followed by a pancake breakfast at 9 am. The event tapers off around 2 pm on Sunday.
The Montana Old-Time Fiddler’s Picnic is an annual event put on by musicians and for musicians in celebration of the fiddle, bluegrass, western swing, country, and folk music that we all love. This 3-day event is organized in an informal, jam format, meaning there’s no schedule of performances or musical events. It’s all impromptu and spontaneous! And you will find some of the best fiddlers, banjo pickers, and guitar players from all around the country who gather for nonstop music, camping, food and fun. Camping is available on-site, but spots are on a first-come-first-serve basis. No water is available, so bring your own supply. Porta-potties are provided.
The picnic was the brainchild of James “Doc” Allison, of Livingston, more than 45 years ago, and was originally organized as a potluck of fiddlers to get together and play music they loved. “It’s straight playing—no competition and no stress connected with it,” said Doc. He originally hosted the event at his farm in Livingston.
The picnic’s popularity grew over the years until it was simply known as “Doc’s,” and became the highlight of the summer for fiddlers and lovers of Americana. Doc hosted his last Fiddler’s in the summer of 2005. It was then moved to its present location on the Mercier Ranch south of Livingston and is now hosted by David and Candace Payne. Sadly, we lost Doc Allison in January of 2020, as our world changed and the whole world changed for a spell due to COVID-19. The picnic organizers took a few years off and were back underway in 2023.
Enthusiasm for the picnic is as high as ever for this year, and they’re looking forward to seeing you. As always, the public is cordially invited. Admission and parking are free, although cash donations help to defray the costs and are graciously accepted. Contact David Payne at 406-431-1378, or by email at dpo@mt.net, or visit: FiddlersPicnic.blogspot.com.