George Portz and "The Friends of Bluegrass" will perform on Sunday, June 8 at the Hamilton Primary School festival in Otterville, from 2 - 5 p.m.
George Portz, the group's leader and founder, is an Illinois State Fair Fiddle Champion, Western Illinois State Fiddle Champion and his fiddling highlights include over 130 first place championships.
He has performed for two Presidents, President Nixon and President Reagan. He has also performed at the Grand Ole Opry.
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Dave Montgomery, lead guitar player for the group, has won the Illinois and Missouri Sate Flat-Pick Guitar championships.
The Hamilton School festival will be held June 7-8, at Hamilton Primary School in Otterville. Along with entertainment both days, there will be a coloring contest, bake-off, watermelon seed spitting contest, food, raffles and school tours. Private groups are welcome to tour the school at any time during the year, contact Jean Marshall at 618-786-2196 to arrange a time.
Hamilton Primary School, the first free school in Illinois and the first integrated school in the nation, closed in 1971, and was recently named one of Illinois' "Ten Most Endangered Historic Places" for 2014.
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