The Long Way
Park County
A group of people gathered for an outdoor buffet meal.
Plate I. Picnic food line, Montana Old-Time Fiddler's Picnic. From fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
Several musicians play fiddles indoors while an audience watches.
Plate II. Musicians performing, Montana Old-Time Fiddler's Picnic. From pccjournal.com
A teardrop camper trailer with its rear hatch open, revealing a built-in kitchen.
Plate III. Camper setup, Montana Old-Time Fiddler's Picnic. From fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
A wooden barn stands in a grassy field with mountains in the background.
Plate IV. Barn at the Montana Old-Time Fiddler's Picnic. From fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
A wooden barn sits in a rural field with mountains in the background.
Plate V. Barn venue for Montana Old-Time Fiddler's Picnic. From fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
A small teardrop camper trailer parked outdoors with its rear galley hatch open.
Plate VI. Teardrop camper, Montana Old-Time Fiddler's Picnic. From fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
A man plays a violin.
Plate VII. Fiddler performing, Montana Old-Time Fiddler's Picnic. From fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com

Montana Old-Time Fiddler's Picnic

Livingston, Park County, Montana. An annual event put on by musicians for musicians.

Details

Map. Livingston, Park County, Montana. Larger map
Where
Livingston, Park County, MT. No street address stated. Directions
When
Annual the last weekend in July or first weekend in August; the most recent confirmed edition was Friday-Sunday August 1-3.
Getting there
Mercier Ranch, 1 mile south of Livingston, MT, on U.S. HWY 89; follow the signs.
Fees
Admission and parking free; cash donations accepted.
Access
General public cordially invited; dry camping on the ranch at no charge, first come first served, no public water or power, portable toilets provided, tents, trailers, and RVs at no charge.
Phone
406-431-1378
Website
fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
Managed by
Candace and David Payne.
Established
more than 45 years ago.

A 3-day event organized in an informal jam format meaning there is no formal schedule of performances or musical events. It's all impromptu and spontaneous. The picnic was the brain-child of James "Doc" Allison.

Notable Events

  1. 1890sDavid Mercier passed through Livingston on his way to the Alaska gold fields to help work his brother's mining claim. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
  2. 1904The original house was built in 1904 for Dorothy and David Mercier; no one but Mercier descendants has ever lived in it. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
  3. 2005Doc hosted his last picnic the summer of 2005, when the event was moved to the Mercier Ranch south of Livingston, hosted by David and Candace Payne. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
  4. 2019The 2019 picnic was the 14th edition at the Mercier Ranch and the last held for a while. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
  5. 2020Doc Allison died in January of 2020, and the world changed for a spell due to COVID-19. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
  6. 2023The picnic organizers took a few years off and were back underway in 2023. pccjournal.com

People

  • Candace and David Payne, Virginia Cain's daughter and son-in-law, who now own the Mercier Ranch.
  • Charlie Stinnett, his fiddle, with David Mercier's, now belongs to and is played by Candace and David Payne.
  • David Mercier, after Alaska, moved with his wife Dorothy and their five children to the Paradise Valley just south of Livingston.
  • James Gordon "Doc" Allison, started the picnic at his farm and put it on for 31 years (born July 4, 1931; passed away January 16, 2020).
  • Yvonne, Doc Allison's wife, whose help put the picnic on for 31 years.

Sources

  1. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com
  2. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com/p/about-this-event.html
  3. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com/p/where.html
  4. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com/p/schedule.html
  5. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com/p/camping.html
  6. fiddlerspicnic.blogspot.com/p/about-mercier-ranch.html
  7. pccjournal.com/montana-old-time-fiddlers-picnic-a-small-party-for-500-of-our-closest-friends
  8. livingstonmontana.com/park-county-and-livingston-yearly-events
  9. facebook.com/people/Montana-Old-Time-Fiddlers-Picnic/100054346819299