The National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest is an old-time music competition, festival, and musical gathering in the western United States, held annually during the third full week in June in Weiser, Idaho, about fifty miles (80 km) northwest of Boise.
[1][2] Within the fiddling community, it is often referred to simply as "Weiser";[3] the contest draws musicians from across the country.
The name was changed to the Northwest Oldtime Fiddling Championships in 1956, when a regional division was added for out-of-area fiddlers.
There are also performances on the contest stage between rounds of competition, where the fiddling styles range from swing to bluegrass to Celtic.
In all divisions, only five fiddlers compete in the final round of competition and scores are cumulative throughout the contest.
The judging criteria are: oldtime fiddling style, danceability, rhythm and timing, and tone quality.