Galax and the surrounding Galax / Mount Airy area have long stood at the center of traditional mountain music, with a concentration of musicians and instrument makers dating back to the 18th century and a reputation for producing more traditional stringed band performers than any other region in the United States. Galax is especially known for the Old Fiddlers Convention, held every year in Felts Park. It began in April 1935 as a one-time fundraiser for the local Moose Lodge, with string band performers appearing in the Galax High School auditorium. Its first program was so successful that organizers planned a two-night event for the following October, when 146 participants competed for a silver loving cup and $110 in prize money provided by 67 local businesses, and more than 1,000 people attended a program that also included histories of the various instruments and a presentation on the sponsoring businesses. The convention continued to grow: in 1936 contestants came from four states and the curator of Folk Museum from Library of Congress recorded the program, in 1938 crowding forced the event outdoors, in 1967 NBC-TV covered the entire event, and by 1974 attendance reached 30,000. Today, individual contestants and bands from around the world compete for tens of thousands of dollars in categories including autoharp, bluegrass and clawhammer banjo, bluegrass fiddle, dobro, dulcimer, flatfoot dancing, folk song, guitar, mandolin, and old time fiddle. Beyond the competition, the convention is valued for the communal gathering across the grounds, where people play together informally and share their love of music, helping preserve, sustain, and celebrate the area’s unique mountain music culture.