Any true Limestone County native knows one of the telltale signs of the coming Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention is the arrival of a fleet of recreational vehicles covering every inch of available space on the campus of Athens State University.

One of those RVs belongs to Andrea and Stan Patterson of Madison. The Pattersons figure they’ve been attending the Fiddlers Convention for the better part of 20 years. This year, they’re parked on the east end of Beasley Field in a classic silver Airstream.

“We love to come up here,” Andrea told The News Courier Wednesday afternoon while Stan finished setting up the campsite.

Andrea describes her husband and herself as lovers of all types of music and they enjoy spending the weekend listening to the performers on the porch of Founders Hall and the impromptu groups that seem to spring up wherever two folks with an instrument happen to meet. The Pattersons also play themselves: Andrea spends time at the piano located inside the campus ballroom while Stan plans to bring his guitar to whatever group he can find.

“We like to play with the different people that show up,” Andrea said.

Aside from the music, there’s always the food and craft vendors to enjoy. Andrea said she and her husband especially enjoy coming early, before the festival actually starts, to visit the Athens shops and restaurants.

“We love Athens — it’s just a beautiful town,” she said.

The Pattersons camp out and make friends of all the different folks that show up, but occasionally find some old friends from Birmingham and Arkansas. Each year is different and that’s a big part of the draw for the Pattersons.

“It’s just fun. You never know who you’re going to meet,” Andrea said. “There’s not much not to like.”