Portland Youth Fiddle Contest

The 4th Annual Sunnyside Youth Fiddle Contest 2025 was a BIG success! Several fiddlers attended for the first time with a steady crowd all day long to cheer them on!

Thanks to ALL of the contestants, parents and audience for your support! A BIG round of thanks to OOTFA volunteers Martha Hughes, Cathy Yale, Mel Fuller, Katherine Smith Allen, David Altman, Tom Faith, Tom Klausen, Marcella Easly, Sherry McKenzie and Aarun Carter. Thanks to Matthew Mefford and Joey McKenzie for providing pro sound for the day and to MC Mel Fuller for keeping things moving along. The raffle items donated by Barb & Jay Petrin, Martha Hughes, The Western Flyers and Elieen Walter are much appreciated and generated some funds toward next year. If we missed thanking anyone please let us know!

We had five divisions, with fiddle players age 2-19, $2000 in prizes. Thanks to area fiddle teachers Jeanine Orme, Celeste Johnson, Martha Hughes, Miya Saito-Beckman, Jerry Parks, Denice Carter, Sherry McKenzie and Aarun Carter for encouraging students to participate and help keep Old-time & Texas style fiddling alive and well in Oregon. We are already planning on next year and if YOU are interested in donating/sponsoring (tax deductible) or volunteering in 2026 please email Aarun Carter at [email protected] - and we’ll reach out in early 2026.

- Sherry & Aarun

2025 Sponsors: OOTFA D7 & D8, OOTFA Kielhorn Grant, City of Wilsonville, Fiddles on Wheels, Fiddle Legacy Foundation.

Novice 9 & under
1st) Nadira Hammond
2nd) Clarissa Kroontje

Novice 10-19
1st Ella Gallegos

8 & Under
1st) Bradley Guptill
2nd) Archer McCubbins
3rd) Leonora Anderson
4th) Oliver Scherba
5th) Loulu Guptill

9-12
1st) Elliot Christensen
2nd) Elsa Keeslar
3rd) Simon Rich
4th) Dayne Ropp
5th) Harper Nelson
6th) Dylan Savage
7th) Gretta Guptill

13-19
1st) Megan Nave
2nd) Julia Smith
3rd) Julie Rodriguez
4th Gretchen Ropp
5th) Sapphire Rain

Live!

Sunnyside Youth Ccontest 2025