The Kansas State Picking & Fiddling Championships are in Lawrence this weekend

For those attending the 35th annual Kansas State Fiddling & Picking Championships, in Lawrence’s South Park, coordinator Gayle Sigurdson says it’s necessary that you be open to possibilities. Being that there’s no pre-registration, everything is day of the contest, with all competitors walking up to sign in.

“The weather is honestly the biggest factor,” Sigurdson says. “Seventy-five to 90 contestants is usually what we average, but the weather can be huge.”

Given that the weather at summer’s end can be rather unpredictable, Sigurdson has seen some wonderful stories come out of the process.

“Two years ago, some guy came running up, and said, ‘I just head about this! I was couch-surfing and my friend called me and told me to get down here. Is it too late?’ We said, ‘No, no — go!’ and he ran to the stage, and he won!” relates Sigurdson with a laugh.

It’s the competitions that really make the event, Sigurdson says. There’s variety both in the ages (kids and adults are welcome) and levels of experience and musicianship. She even points to variety in what might be played.

“In the miscellaneous instruments category one year, we had a guy on the kazoo,” Sigurdson says. “And, you’ll think, ‘That’s just silly,’ except he was such a consummate musician, he did really impressive things. He didn’t win, but he blew away the judges.”

The sense of the unexpected extends to the scheduled performances, which take place as part of the Sunday afternoon event.

“It always tends to be very traditional music, and we try to provide something that’s less-expected — not as bluegrass-y and folk-y,” Sigurdson explains. In the past they’ve had bluesman Pat Nichols; this year, Lawrence quartet Gadjos-Chapeaux will play its own brand of Django Rheinhardt gypsy jazz.

In addition to Sunday’s performances and competitions, there’s a Friday, August 21, matinee pre-party on the Replay Lounge patio with Pickett, Paull and Jeans, the Alferd Packer Memorial String Band and Old Fangled. See the full schedule of events below.

Friday, August 21 — Pre-Party at the Replay Lounge, 6 — 9 p.m. 
Saturday, August 22 — Kick-Off Party and Jam at South Park, 4 p.m.
Sunday, August 23 — Contests, Concerts, Jam Sessions and more at South Park, starting at noon.

For more details on the schedule, go here. For registration guidelines, go here.