Although Lawrence’s clubs are busy catering to the indie-rock crowd late at night, the city’s front porches, street corners and parks are traditionally filled with the sounds of a different style of music during the day.

Nowhere is this more apparent than throughout the annual weekend gathering of the Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championships. In its 24th year, the event has become a mini mecca of acoustic folk talent.

“Kansas has a lot of remote areas, so this is a chance for people to meet once a year with other Kansas musicians and showcase their talent and traditions,” says Kay Runge, co-director of the competition.

Eight different instrumental divisions and a host of other special concerts and activities will be on display in South Park this weekend. Anywhere from five to 20 people are scheduled to contend in each category.

“What’s great about this event is you don’t have to play an instrument to appreciate it,” Runge says.

The contest hasn’t changed substantially from last year, other than reintroducing the dulcimer category — both mountain and hammered styles.

The one big difference organizers are counting on involves Mother Nature. Last year’s fest was assaulted by temperatures nearing 100.

“If the weather stays like it is, I’m hoping we get around 1,000 people,” Runge says.

During the past five years or so, Kansas Fiddling and Picking has really begun to stress the importance of younger contestants.

“We have just as many performers scheduled for youth as we do the main concerts,” festival volunteer Brad Levy says. “They get equal billing.”

Many programs have been added — such as one in sign language — that cater to children.

And even though there are separate competitive categories for youth, the talent has been strong enough from this demographic to actually win in the open divisions. (All matches are done through blind judging.)

“We’ve had a real good response from the kids,” says Levy, who has helped organize the event every year since 1983. “It’s really heartwarming to see some of the kids at a jam session. In the jams, you frequently go around the circle and each person will choose the next tune. For a youth, to see it reach their turn in the circle and realize that for the first time, ‘Oh, I’m the one choosing the tune’ — that’s becoming part of the tradition.”

The original championships started out in the early ’80s, focusing primarily on Lawrence musicians. But as word spread to outlying communities, the summer tourney was able to adopt the mantle of KANSAS Fiddling and Picking.

Next year will mark the event’s 25th anniversary, Runge says, and plans are being made to turn it into a three-day event. She considers this weekend’s all-ages congregation a “kind of warm-up” for the silver anniversary.

“We really do work hard to make it a family-oriented event,” she says. “A lot of times you’ll go someplace and it’s fine for the adults or fine for the children — but never both. This event, we do a really good job to make it attractive to both. And all of it is free.”

• Saturday and Sunday 08.21-2224th annual Kansas State Fiddling and Picking ChampionshipsSaturday
• Barn Dance Basics Workshop, 7:15 p.m.-8 p.m., Woodlawn School, 508 Elm
• Community Barn Dance, featuring caller Jill Allen and live music by Natural Causes, 8 p.m.-11 p.m., Woodlawn School, 508 Elm
• Open music jam, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., Americana Music Academy, 1419 Mass.
• SundaySouth Stage in South Park, 12:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Concert: The Alferd Packer Memorial String Band
• Miscellaneous acoustic instruments contest
• Concert: Lila
• Ensemble folk-singing contest
• Fiddle contest
• Awards presentation/winners showcase
• North Stage in South Park, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Concert: Mark Franzke and Friends
• Flat pick guitar contest
• Banjo contest
• Dulcimer contest (mountain and hammered)
• Concert: The Prairie Acre
• Mandolin contest
• Fingerpick guitar contest
• South Park Recreation Center
• Silly stories with Priscilla Howe, 1 p.m.-1:50 p.m.
• Musical sign language with Linda Tilton, 2 p.m.-2:50 p.m.
• Story games with Priscilla Howe, 3 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
• The South Park Gazebo
• Shape-note singing, 1:30 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. North of the Gazebo in South Park
• Music networking and jamming circles, all afternoon
• South of the Gazebo in South Park
• Silly hats with K.T. Walsh, all afternoon