Leon Robie, a sixth grade student at the Kingfield Elementary School, is a member of the Pineland Fiddlers. (Laura Dunham photo) BELGRADE — On Wednesday, Nov. 12 a fundraising dinner and auction will be held at the Village Inn in Belgrade to raise money for the Pineland Fiddlers who plan to travel to Ireland this summer "to the land of great fiddling." Here the some 30 members of the Pineland Fiddlers, including Leon Robie, a sixth grade student from Kingfield, will be able to study with Irish master fiddlers. Robie has been playing the fiddle for the past three years.

The Pineland Fiddlers will be able to explore the roots of New England's traditional music, develop new repertoire and share their own Maine and Quebec based repertoire at music festivals and other venues in Ireland, said Deborah Robie, Leon's mother. To make the trip possible the Pineland Fiddlers have lined up months of auctions, bake sales, bottle drives, poinsettia sales and raffles as well as performances at dances, fairs and festivals.

The Pineland Fiddlers are a touring ensemble of children ages 8 to 14 who play traditional fiddle music from Maine to Canada. All are students of Ellen Gawler of Belgrade, one of Maine's most respected fiddlers and most study classical violin at the Pineland Suzuki School. They perform throughout Maine at fairs, festivals, concerts, dances. Their big lively fiddle-orchestra sound has impressed crowds at venues such as the Chocolate Church in Bath, the L.L. Bean Concerts and the Kingfield Pops Concert.

The event will get under way with a happy hour at 5:30 p.m. followed by a choice of roast beef or stuffed haddock at 6:30 with the auction under the direction of John Gawler getting underway at 7:30. There will be a 50/50 raffle and of course the fiddlers will play. Tickets may be obtained by calling Robie at 265-5920.

Robie said that there is already about $5,000 in merchandise that has been donated for the auction including a youth pass to the Anti-Gravity Complex in Carrabassett Valley, a gift certificate to Tranten's Store, a savings bond from the Credit Union as well as artisanal products, food and baked goods, tickets for sporting events and many more items.

The Pineland Fiddlers have a new Web site, said Robie, they can be reached at www.pinelandfiddlers.org.