Fiddle Tunes and Fish Camps: A Fish Fry at the Earl Scruggs Center

Fish Camps have played an important role in the community of Cleveland County dating back nearly 100 years when groups of hungry patrons would gather at the banks of the Broad River to enjoy fried fish and great music.  It was in this environment that a young Earl Scruggs first played in front of live audiences alongside of his brother and earliest musical partner Horace.  The two would walk home along the banks of the Broad River with stomachs full of fresh fish and hushpuppies and pockets rattling with change.

The Earl Scruggs Center is pleased to present Fiddle Tunes and Fish Camps, a dinner program that will recreate the feeling of early fish camps along the Broad River.  Fresh fish and all of the fixins will be served and for entertainment the musical duo of fiddler Will Ritter and banjo player Brett Riggs two of the finest musicians in Western North Carolina.  There will also be a presentation on the history of early Carolina fish camps given by Dr. Stephen Criswell, Director of Native American Studies at USC-Lancaster, who has contributed articles on fish camps to the New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture and the South Carolina Encyclopedia.  Dr. Criswell has studied southern foodways for years and has researched the origins of everything from Hushpuppies to Banana Pudding.

The dinner program will begin at 6pm and tickets are $40 for Earl Scruggs Center Members and $50 for Non-members.  Be sure to reserve your spot quickly as limited seating is available.

Click here to purchase tickets!