The Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association was started by Bill Wein, a fiddler from Vermont. Bill came out to California when he got a job at General Electric in San Jose in 1973. At that time he placed an ad in the San Jose Mercury News to contact others who also had an interest in fiddling and traditional music.

The five original members were Bill Wein, Guy Jones, Joe de Puis, Ed Pagter, and Jack Sadler (who is still an active member as of 2018). With this core group, the Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association was formed in early 1973. The group conducted monthly jam sessions at various locations for the first year. By early 1974 John Muir Middle School, in San Jose, was secured for the monthly jamboree.

In 1975, the Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of California. In 1976, founding members Ed Pagter and Jack Sadler were part of a group who formed a related organization: the California Bluegrass Association.