Picking for the Prize Flatpicking Guitar Contest presented by Martin Guitar Co.
10:30 – 11:45am
Workshop Stage
Sponsored by Walnut Valley Association, Elderly Instruments, Calton Cases, Paige Capos, Strum Machine, and ToneSlabs.
Five flatpicking finalists compete for a coveted Grand Prize package that includes a custom Martin Guitar and a guaranteed spot in the 2025 National Flat Picking Championship at the famed Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.
Sixteen-year-old Nikolai Margulis is the 2023 winner of the FreshGrass Banjo Award and has been making waves in bluegrass ever since. He’s played with renowned artists like Tony Trischka, Tray Wellington, Michael Cleveland, Missy Raines and Bela Fleck.
Edwin McCoy & Bayla Davis are part of the J.A.M family. Junior Appalachian Musicians (J.A.M.) is a non-profit and the parent organization for 50+ after school programs for children in grades 4 – 8. They provide communities with the tools and support they need to teach children to play and dance to traditional old time and bluegrass music.
Alan Bibey, Scott Napier, Nick Dumas, & Nick Chandler
Bluegrass Journeymen
1:00 – 1:30pm
International Stage
The Bluegrass Journeymen is a collective of accomplished musicians focused on expanding the worldwide footprint of bluegrass while building cross-cultural connections through music, education, and adventure. The band’s core members include Billy Cardine, Nabanita “Bonnie” Sarkar, Summers Baker, Coleman Smith, and Founder, and band leader Patrick Fitzsimons.
Lydia Hamby is an accomplished bluegrass musician, known for her captivating voice, unique original songs, and tasteful bluegrass mandolin playing. Her band merges new and traditional bluegrass music, bringing an unmatched energy and passion to any room.
From a young age, Kristy has captured attention with her distinct singing style and positive outlook, going on to open shows for major acts and appearing on television and major festivals across Australia, Europe and the USA.
Born in Slovakia, trained as a classical vocalist, Jana became the lead singer, electric bassist and frontperson for the Czech/Slovak bluegrass band, Fragment. In 2006, she married guitarist Stephen Mougin from the Sam Bush Band and moved to the United States.