News Release

Homestead National Historical Park to host annual Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival

Two guys playing a guitar and fiddle in front of a crowd.

NPS/Hartwig

News Release Date: May 19, 2025

Contact: Amber Kirkendall, 402-223-3514

BEATRICE, Neb. – Homestead National Historical Park invites fiddlers to share their talent and compete in the annual Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival, May 24, 2025, registration begins at 9:30 a.m.; a workshop is scheduled take place at 10:00 a.m., and the competition begins at noon.

The free fiddle workshop, led by Terry Keefe, at 10:00 a.m., is open to everyone, including competition participants. This yearly event honors the musical traditions of the early homestead era. There will be more than $3,000 in prize money provided by the Leigh F., Jane M., and Leigh M. Coffin Foundation.

There are four divisions in the competition. The Junior Division is for people who have played the fiddle for less than five years. The Senior Division is for people who have played for five years or longer, the Acoustic Band Division is for all acoustic string bands with three or more players, and the Picking Division is for any individual contestant who plays a stringed instrument other than a fiddle.

Individuals will play three tunes, including a Hoedown, a Waltz, and a tune of choice. Bands will play two songs, a tune of choice, and a song in a traditional fiddle style. Contestant(s) will be judged on pitch, tone, rhythm, and presentation.

The 2025 Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival will be led by three Nebraska native musicians, Chris Sayre, Terry Keefe, and Steve Hanson, all from Lincoln.

Sayre has been a working musician for more than 50 years. His passion for both traditional and contemporary folk music is reflected in his numerous performances at coffeehouses, fairs, festivals. libraries, retirement homes, schools, and other venues across Nebraska and the region.

Keefe has been performing music professionally for more than 45 years in a variety of genres and in numerous ensembles. He has won awards in musical competitions, including the Midwest Fiddle Championship.

Hanson has been a professional musician in Lincoln, Nebraska area for more than 50 years. In that time, Hanson has won numerous contests and awards, including the Lincoln Mayor’s Arts Award, the Walnut Valley Festival, and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival contests. He has taught countless students to play and enjoy music.

The McGovern Stringband is scheduled to provide a special performance during the judging of the Junior. Division. The McGovern Stringband is from Lincoln, Nebraska. They feature the vocals of father and son, Kelly McGovern (guitar) and Brian McGovern (mandolin). The McGovern Stringband’s repertoire includes songs from a variety of genres performed in Bluegrass style. The band also includes David Morris on bass, resophonic guitar player Steve “Fuzzy” Blazek, Daren Blythe on 5-string banjo, and Sam Packard on fiddle. Kelly McGovern, David Morris, and Steve Blazek have each been inducted into the Nebraska Performing Arts Hall of Fame. The band’s harmonies, combined with a percussive acoustic instrumentation, recall that legendary high lonesome sound of Bluegrass.

This event is made possible by the generosity of the Leigh F., Jane M., and Leigh M. Coffin Foundation, the Friends of Homestead, Humanities Nebraska and the Hevelone Foundation. Admission to Homestead Historical Park and all events is free.

For information on available accommodations please contact Accessibility Coordinator, Amber Kirkendall at [phone] or e-mail us.

Homestead National Historical Park is a unit of the National Park Service, located four miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska. Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Trails are open daily from dawn to dusk, and admission is free. The park has a diverse schedule of events planned for 2025. For more information, please call [phone], or visit https://www.nps.gov/home/index.htm; Instagram (@HomesteadNPS “X” (@HomesteadNHP), and Facebook (Homestead National Historical Park).
 

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