There was music in the air Sunday in Lawrence’s South Park  good old-fashioned country, bluegrass, mountain and even a little classical music.

And people like Justin Barnett, Lawrence, who comes every year to the annual Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championships, couldn’t get enough of it.

“I was raised around it, and I love it,” said Barnett, originally from Winfield, home of the Walnut Valley Festival.

Barnett was not alone. Hundreds of people came and went from the five-hour afternoon event, enjoying the musicians playing on two different stages. Guitars, banjos and fiddles were the instruments of choice.

Almost as popular as the music were the various refreshments for sale, including Italian sausage and ice-cold lemonade.

“It’s been wonderful,” said Debbie Rogers, Lawrence, who attended the event with her family, including three young children. “There are all sorts of things you can do here. You can even get a nice massage while you’re listening to the music.”

Preparing to play in the fiddle contest for the first time was Ruth Kuefler, 13, St. Marys. She said she wasn’t nervous. Standing near her was her sister, Elizabeth Kuefler, 20, who first played in the fiddle contest when she was 14 and won it at age 16. She had few words of wisdom for her sister.

“I don’t need to give her any advice,” Elizabeth Kuefler said. “The only advice I give her is to have fun.”

There were few, if any, snags during the contest, its director, Lauralyn Bodle said.

“It’s going great,” she said. “The weather is good. It’s not as hot as last year.”

Bodle was hesitant to estimate the crowd size. No official count is taken.

“I’ve heard 1,500 bandied about today, but I really don’t know,” she said. “In the past we’ve had 300 to 500.”

There were more than 50 contestants in various musical categories, Bodle said.