Weiser, Idaho- The Weiser Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday, May13th the 2025 Weiser Old Time National Fiddle Contest and Festival Parade Grand Marshal. This year’s Grand Marshal is our very own Patrick Nauman. Nauman is a home grown Weiserite. He shared, “I was raised in Weiser, graduated here. My mother and father were both entrepreneurs. They had a ranch on Mann Creek and mom used to have a clothing store downtown. Weiser was home, State Street was home. The business community was home for me when I was growing up. The business community raised me.”
You could say from a young age Nauman has had a passion for business and it is apparent in how active he is in the Weiser business sector. After graduating from Weiser High Nauman traveled and lived in many different places across the nation. He returned to the area and in 2007 he purchased the candy store, “It was the Saturday before the Fiddle Festival that we took over the store,” shared Nauman. For the last 18 years he has taken his candy store, Weiser Classic Candy & Deli, not only into other states, but around the world. Taking a small time candy shop online where anyone can order their hand made chocolates.
Nauman has been part of many projects and boards dedicated to business and economic growth not just in the city of Weiser, but the areas around our community. He is currently part of the Weiser Chamber of Commerce Board and is the Chairman of the Snake River Economic Development Alliance, which is a group that oversees economic development in Payette, Washington, and Malheur Counties. “We are trying to bring business and retain business here in the area to provide living wage jobs,” stated Nauman.
Not only is Nauman passionate about bringing new life economically to Weiser and the local area, he is passionate about giving young entrepreneurs a chance to see their own business dreams become reality. He began a scholarship program, the WCC Entrepreneurial Scholarship, to help young entrepreneurs with the cost of the education they need in order to begin their dreams of owning their own business. “It’s all about trying to raise the next generation of entrepreneurs, finding those people who want to go out and do something on their own and take that chance,” shared Nauman. He continued stating, “It really is a labor of love. I love the community. I love Weiser. I love the people of Weiser. It’s really why I do what I do. It’s about giving back.” This scholarship is partially funded by the Kids Day event that is held every year during Fiddle Week downtown.
Nauman shared his thoughts on the Old Time Fiddle Contest and Festival stating, “It is time to reinvigorate the spirit and feel of Fiddle Fest. Not just at the High School. Not just at the city park or select businesses downtown, but really as an entire community. I feel like it has almost been forgotten how important the Fiddle Contest and the Fiddle Festival is to Weiser. This will be the 72nd year of this contest. I feel it is really important as a community that we really embrace the Fiddle Contest and the Fiddle Festival even more than we have in the past. People need to go and buy a ticket to the contest, even if it’s a day time performance and go see what it is all about. Everyone has their notions of what they think fiddle music is, but I think they would be pleasantly surprised at the quality of musicians that come to the contest.” Nauman shared that he wants Fiddle Week to bring that old good time feeling that it once gave everyone. He understands that not everyone enjoys the influx of people to the community but that this influx dramatically helps Weiser businesses, giving them a big boost during a slower time of year. “I really want to get back to the days when the Fiddle Contest and Festival was really celebrated. That the whole experience is really a whole community wide experience,” stated Nauman.
Naumen shared his response at finding out that he was to be this year’s Grand Marshal, “It’s not very often that someone makes me speechless, but they absolutely made me speechless that morning. I definitely did not see that coming. I was incredibly humbled by that.” stated Nauman. He jokingly stated that he wanted to remind everyone that he is technically not old enough to be a Grand Marshal. Nauman shared that he felt it is a huge honor and that he takes it seriously, but also shared that he is the “Candy Man” and that he would not give anything away, but hinted that he probably wouldn’t be your typical Grand Marshal.
With Nauman receiving the honor of being this year’s Grand Marshall, one could say he has come full circle. From a young child being loved and raised by a community of business owners to now being one of those community business owners giving back to the next generation. From purchasing his business around Fiddle Week time to now being the Grand Marshal of the Fiddle Parade, Nauman has now been full circle. Congratulations to Patrick Nauman the 2025 Fiddle Contest and Festival Parade Grand Marshal!
