Brownie Johnson, of Smithville, rode his white mule to victory during the Uncle Dave Macon Days Motorless Parade. Johnson was named Best Junior Mounted Rider.

Despite the rain, the show went on and this year’s champions were crowned over the weekend at the 35th annual Uncle Dave Macon Days.

“The big tent we put up to help shade people from the sun became a great place to sit under during the rain to watch the competitions,” said Patsy Weiler, who is one of the volunteers who help the festival run smoothly every year. “We had an excellent turn out of competitors in our various contests.”

The rain started Friday afternoon, but stopped just in time for Bluegrass legend and recipient of the 2012 Trailblazer Award J. D. Crowe to take the stage.

Saturday was a wet day all around, Weiler said, but the weather cleared up in time for the evening finals before starting up again for Snider’s show.

“During Mike Snider’s show, it was amazing how many people were sitting out in front of stage under umbrellas watching his show in the rain,” she said.

Friday had a good crowd, Weiler said, adding ticket sales were slowed by the Saturday’s downpours.

“So overall we were pleased,” Weiler said. “There was good attendance for the Sunday gospel sing and the cooler weather compared to last year brought out more people.”

And those people saw some talented musicians and dancers.

“According to our chairman of judges, Avent Lane, we had some of the most skilled and talented competitors he had seen in the festival contests,” Weiler said.

In the end and despite the weather, the winners of the 2012 music and dance competitions, the Motorless Parade and arts and crafts award recipients and the Macon-Doubler Fellowship honorees were named and the show went on.

The 36th annual festival will be held July 12-14, 2013, at Cannonsburgh Village in Murfreesboro.

2012 Uncle Dave Macon Days Music and Dance Winners
Friday, July 13

Old-Time Singing
1. Daniel Rothwell
2. Elizabeth Dunlap
3. Bruce Nemerov

Beginning Instrumental
1. Lane Johnson
2. Ivy Phillips
3. Ben Hester

Uncle Dave Macon Freewheelin’ Style
1. Daniel Rothwell
2. Victor Furtado
3. Rob Pearcy

Freestyle Dance (Jr)
1. Kory Posey
2. Matthew Campbell
3. Joey Jonte

Freestyle Dance (Sr)
1. Danny Campbell
2. Andy Harrell
3. Teresa Binkley

DeFord Bailey Harmonica
1. Moose Horious
2. Issac Vick
3. Graham Kash

Acoustic Blues
1. Heather Molder
2. James Wallace
3. Cara DiGiovanni

Dobro
1. Rob Pearcy
2. Garry Adams
3. Robbie Harris

Saturday, July 14
Guitar
1. Andrew Rigney
2. Rob Pearcy
3. Tyler Andal

Mandolin
1. Grant Rigney
2. Ryan Holliday
3. Andrew Rigney

Contest Fiddle
1. Maddie Denton
2. Joel Whittinghill
3. Grant Rigney

Dulcimer
1. Rob Pearcy
2. Judy Beier
3. Lisa Brown

Traditional Fiddle
1. Kelsey Wells
2. Tyler Andal
3. Evan Johnson

Old-Time Clogging (Jr)*
1. Alysa Matheny
2. Shawn Jones
3. Shelby Dunn

Old-Time Clogging (adult)*
1. Chris Stewart
2. Kory Posey
3. Shawna Taylor

Old-Time Clogging (Sr)*
1. Darrin Stryker
2. Kathy Steel
3. Danny Campbell

Old-Time Buckdancing (Jr)*
1. Shawn Jones
2. Alysa Matheny
3. Devan Sharpe

Old-Time Buckdancing (adult)*
1. Kory Posey
2. Kelsey Jones
3. Hillary Bevals

Old-Time Buckdancing (Sr)*
1. Danny Campbell
2. Wendell Hodges
3. Kim Matheny

Old-Time Banjo*
1. Lucas Pool
2. Victor Furtado
3. Tyler Andal

Old-Time Band
1. Hogslop String Band
2. T.Z. Brothers
3. Lookout Mountain Sidewinders

Bluegrass Banjo
1. Kurt Stephenson
2. Weston Stewart
3. Daniel Smithy

Bluegrass Band
1. Rigney Family
2. Foggy Junkie Boys
3. Cody Hull

* National championships in these categories

Uncle Dave Macon Days Motorless Parade

Best Carriage
Alford Bugg, Woodbury, Tenn.

Best Wagon Team
Brownie Tittsworth, Smithville, Tenn.

Best Junior Mounted Rider
Brownie Johnson, Smithville, Tenn.

Best Adult Mounted Rider
Robert Cook, Smyrna

Uncle Dave Macon Days Arts and Crafts

Hand-made brooms
Talotam Hollow, Susan Peek, Eighty Eight, Ky.

Hand-made lye soap
LaBelle Acres, Belinda Lindroos, Jamestown, Tenn.,

Hand-woven baskets
Yoder Baskets, Enos Yoder, Dubre, Ky.

Honorable mention: Handblown glass menageries
Dan Davis, Sweetwater, Tenn.

Macon-Doubler Fellowship winners
Colton Wrisner and Sandra Gilliam

Special Recognitions
Bill Knowlton – From the festival committee, recognizing 30 years as the festival’s Saturday night emcee.

Patsy Weiler – From the Macon family, recognizing 30 years of service to the festival.