It is common to hear Azeri folk music in the city, as the Kars region drew immigrants from the Caucasus before and after the First World War.

Caucasian Folk Dances have an important place in the rich Kars folklore. While the local dances are mainly in groups or pairs, Caucasian dances are performed by individuals. The minstrelsy tradition, recorded in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Humanity in 2009, features folk poets narrating while playing a traditional stringed instrument. When multiple performers come together for a competition, there is usually a great deal of good-natured squabbling and bickering – much to the delight and amusement of the audience.