A local icon’s legacy now stands further immortalized, with the release of Patriot Films’ Uncle Dave Macon Days: A Tribute to Old Time Music & Dance.

The affectionate documentary recalls Macon’s rise in country music and mainly consists of interviews from his friends and family members. As the film progresses, it switches focus to the Opry star’s namesake festival and bears the glowing testimony of many of the festival’s patrons and volunteers.

The documentary fondly recalls Macon as a vaudeville-esque entertainer, proficient as a banjo player, singer, songwriter and comedian. It illustrates a portrait of the man known as the “Dixie Dewdrop” and lovingly invokes his cartoonishly hillbilly appearance, replete with gold teeth.

Documentary subjects also refer to Macon as “the greatest banjo player of all time,” and every year that reputation drives hundreds of musicians as they compete in his namesake competitions held in Murfreesboro. According to the documentary, many of these competitors train all year solely for this event, known since 1986 as the National Championships.

Many of the documentary’s interviewees attended the film’s premiere on June 27, where live old-time bands and dancers gave attendees a taste of typical Uncle Dave Macon Days festivities. Guests were also treated to a catered dinner from Legend’s Steakhouse before the film.

Even though the premiere mainly focused on Uncle Dave, the historic setting of Oaklands Mansion allowed for prominent displays of The Rutherford County Documentary, also produced by Patriot Films. The mansion also hosted copies of Rutherford County historical books, and suggests the importance of the festival’s locale.

The film further amplifies the vitality of Rutherford County to the festival, as it outlines the attributes of Murfreesboro’s Cannonsburgh Village as the ideal old-time setting. Uncle Dave Macon Days is an integral part of Rutherford County tourism, bringing people from all over the country to Middle Tennessee.

Because the workers of Uncle Dave Macon Days are purely volunteers, it relies on a bevy of local sponsors, as well as other donations.

Twenty percent of each DVD purchase goes to the Uncle Dave Macon Days festival. The film seeks to not only preserve the memory of Macon, but of old-time music and dance as a whole.

This year’s Uncle Dave Macon Days take place July 11 – 13, and in addition to the music and dancing, will also feature a display of historical Rutherford County photographs, arts and crafts, a ministry fair and a motorless parade.

For more information on the film or to order a copy, click here.