Skip Navigation

Vandalia Gathering old-time banjo, lap dulcimer and flat pick guitar winners announced

Champion old-time banjo, lap dulcimer and flat pick guitar players competed for prizes today during the 30th annual Vandalia Gathering.
The winners were:

Old-Time Banjo (under age 60)
1st place ($400) - Tim Bing, Huntington
2nd place ($250) - Adam Hurt, Morgantown
3rd place ($150) - David O’Dell, West Logan
4th place ($75) - Doug Van Gundy, Elkins
5th place ($50) - Pete Kosky, Charleston

Senior Old-Time Banjo (age 60 and over)
1st place ($400) - Mack Samples, Duck
2nd place ($250) - Bernard Cyrus, Fort Gay
3rd place ($150) - Ted Samples, Harrisville
4th place ($75) - Charlie Loudermilk, Frankford
5th place ($50) - Ben Carr, Wilsie

Youth Lap Dulcimer (age 15 and under)
1st place ($75) - Katie Stricker, South Charleston

Lap Dulcimer (over age 15)
1st place ($400) - Alan Freeman, Renick
2nd place ($250) - Dave Haas, Cross Lanes
3rd place ($150) - Timmy Gillenwater, Griffithsville
4th place ($75) - Bernard Cyrus, Fort Gay
5th place ($50) - Trishy Westman, Mabscott

Flat Pick Guitar (all ages)
1st place ($400) - Robin Kessinger, St. Albans
2nd place ($250) - Matt Lindsey, Dunbar
3rd place ($150) - Brandon Bentley, Sumerco
4th place ($75) - Dan Kessinger, St. Marys
5th place ($50) - Josh Moody, St. Marys

The annual Vandalia Gathering is a FREE celebration of the traditional arts, music, dance, stories, crafts and foods of West Virginia. The Cultural Center and State Capitol Complex grounds plays host to this expanding family-style gathering each year on Memorial Day weekend. The statewide folk festival, named for the proposed 14th colony, creates new memories for the thousands of visitors who flock from across the Mountain State and the entire country to celebrate traditions passed from generation to generation. In addition to offering a sampling of West Virginia’s traditional mountain culture by showcasing craftspeople and performers, the Vandalia Gathering pays tribute to the state’s ethnic heritage through a variety of exhibitions and programs.
For more information, call Ginny Painter at (304) 558-0220, ext. 120.
The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

- 30 -

Ginny Painter
Deputy Commissioner/Communications Manager
West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History
The Cultural Center
1900 Kanawha Blvd., East
Charleston, WV  25305
Phone (304) 558-0220, ext. 120
Fax (304) 558-2779
Email ginny.painter@wvculture.org