MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED since a small group of Shelburne Rotarians struggled with a failure.

Having for years searched for a major fund-raising vehicle, the Rotarians in 1950 had hit on the idea of sponsoring a hog calling contest.

Sadly, the contest was not the anticipated success, and the Rotary Club decided against trying it a second time, and set up a committee to look into the possibility of coming up with a better idea.

The result, as we all now know, was a decision to use music as the tool - specifically, old time fiddling music, which those days seemed to be going the way of the dodo bird, at least locally.

Well, the first contest was such a success that the second became a lot bolder, being billed officially for the first time as The Canadian Open Championship Old Time Fiddlers' Contest.

Since then, the annual event has grown far beyond the expectations of its founders, to the point where Shelburne these days is probably better known in some quarters by its nickname, Fiddleville.

Over the years, the former village of 1,200 has grown into a town four times that size, yet the first weekend after Civic Holiday still sees it transformed into a major small-town tourist attraction.

In the same period, both the quality and quantity of contestants has soared and with it the total prize money. (Initially, the top prizes were in three figures!)

This year sees the introduction, at long last, of an appropriate campground for the many fans and contestants who prefer to have an RV or tent as their home during Fiddle Week. Apart from such marvellous additions as washrooms and picnicking facilities, the new Fiddle Park offers some welcome shade for the campers.

This year's visitors will enjoy another potential bonus in the once-in-a-lifetime Schryer family show tonight, as the opening Fiddle Week event.

And with other festivities such as Saturday's big Fiddle Parade and the community church service and pork barbecue Sunday, there'll surely be something for everyone.

So all we need is to give one instruction: enjoy!