You might think a music festival set in the college city of Athens, Ga., and the starting point for some of the biggest names in music, from R.E.M. to Widespread Panic, would have started with a couple guys in a room over drinks and magically grew over time.

That would be the opposite of what happened with AthFest.

The fact is, Jared Bailey and the rest of the group that started this annual music event dedicated to showcasing the music and arts scene in Athens had to work quite hard to make AthFest a reality. This weekend, they will show how all of that hard work has paid off.

“Well, the effort to create the festival predates the actual start of the festival by about 10 years,” said Bailey, co-founder of AthFest.

Now with more than 175 bands from the Athens area, AthFest started in 1997 with approximately 60 acts from all genres and backgrounds. Bailey had returned from one of the first South By Southwest festivals in Texas and wondered why a place such as Athens, with its own rich musical history, couldn’t muster up something like that. So, they did studies, strategized with city and local government officials and analyzed what it would take to make a festival that promotes the arts a success in Athens.

The answer came about a decade later with AthFest.

Now 11 years into the event, AthFest is bigger, stronger and more popular than ever. While organizers can’t play host to bands such as R.E.M., the B-52s or Widespread Panic because of their massive popularity, they can bring the hundreds of other local bands together for three days and nights to a festival that is (honestly) mostly free.

“What makes AthFest different is it’s affordable,” said Michelle Roche, co-chair of the AthFest promotions committee. “You can come on a day trip, and you don’t have to spend anything at all for a full day of music.”

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, AthFest features outdoor stages in downtown Athens. Around sundown, many of those acts move indoors for the “Club Crawl.” Many of the bands play a variety of venues in and around the Athens live music scene.

This year, headliners such as Modern Skirts, Dark Meat and Dubconscious will perform alongside hundreds of other musicians looking to have a good time from dawn ‘til dawn. (For a full schedule of events, go online to www.athfest.com.)

In addition to the music, AthFest features performance and visual art areas, film festivals and a KidsFest area dedicated to the little arts lovers out there.

“The fact is, unlike some festivals, this is a kid-friendly event,” Roche said. “As the event grows, so do the needs of those coming to it.”

All outdoor events are free and open to the public. According to Bailey, that public often grows to around 12,000 people for the entire weekend. For the venue shows, wristbands are required at a cost of $15, and that will get you into all venued shows, though age restrictions do apply to some.

AthFest is a nonprofit event that is meant to bolster the arts and entertainment in Athens. For a full list of rules, parking availability or to purchase wristbands or see a complete lineup, go to www.athfest.com.