Registration Fee

• Adults: $15 per individual contestant
• Youth (16 and under): $10 per individual contestant
• Band Contest: $25 per group

Please note: an individual may enter the Miscellaneous Acoustic Instruments contest only once per year; in other words, the contestant may not enter multiple times with different instruments.

Instrument Contest Prizes

• 1st place: $150 guaranteed plus sum of all entry fees and a trophy.*
• 2nd place: Certificate
• 3rd place: Certificate
• All youth entries receive a certificate of participation.

*For example, if 5 contestants enter, winner would received $150 PLUS $75 (5x$15)

Online registration closes at noon Saturday, the day before the event. (You can still register day of in person, see below)

Register Day Of

Instrument contest registration will be accepted until 40 minutes before the scheduled contest time. Band contest registration will be open one month prior to event but only 8 bands will be accepted. Any additional bands will get priority on the list for the following year.

Order of appearance for both instrument contests and band contest will be determined randomly shortly before the contest begins. Contestants are responsible for checking with the stage manager for their position in the contest. Second and third place prizes are not given if there are too few entries. Score cards will not be given out.

Band Contest Prize

• 1st place: Certificate naming band as KS State Band of the Year, trophy, $500 cash, opportunity to play the following month at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, KS, always the third weekend of September.* 

* winning band gets opportunity to play in Champions Concert at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS, on September 18, 2024. FidPick Contest Director must notify Walnut Valley Festival immediately if the band intends to take part in the Champions Concert. Walnut Valley Festival does not provide tickets or camping for the band as part of this contest.