PORT ANGELES — The rides are cranked up, the food is cooking, the animals are bawling and the music is hot at the Clallam County Fair this weekend.
The fair opened Thursday to a crowd that arrived early to buy scones, be first in line for rides, view art exhibits and wander the animal barns.
There are baby animals in the barns, including newborn baby goats and pigs, said Shari Ioffrida, fair manager, who added that attendance figures will be available several days after the fair ends.
Today (Saturday) and gates will open at 8:30 a.m., buildings will open at 10 a.m. and the carnival rides will spin and loop beginning at noon at the Clallam County Fairgrounds, 1608 W. 16th St., next to Lincoln Park and William R. Fairchild International Airport.
Buildings and exhibits will close at 9 p.m., and the carnival ends at 10 p.m. Saturday.
On Sunday, the fair closes at 7 p.m.
Adult admission is $8. Admission is $6 for youths 13-17 and seniors 62 or older.
Four-day passes cost $24 for adults, $13 for youths ages 13-17 and seniors 62 or older, and $12 for children age 5-12.
On Saturday, the arena opens at noon with the Logging Show, celebrating the Clallam County logging heritage with competitions to test traditional logging skills.
The Pro West Rodeo, on Saturday and Sunday, is going to be one of the biggest rodeos the county has seen, Ioffrida said.
Rodeo events begin at 5 p.m. Saturday and at noon Sunday.
The fair will be topped off at 5 p.m. Sunday by the Demolition Derby.
Demolition derby tickets are $11 and will be sold outside the yellow gate (west side of the fairgrounds) starting at 9 a.m. that day.
Derby attendees are required to also pay fair entry fees.
The Red Heart Alarm Band, a Seattle band performing “guntry,” a blend of grunge and country music, will hit the Wilder Stage at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Vibratones Reunion, a local classic rock band with roots in the 1970s, will return to the Wilder Stage at 6 p.m.
Saturday evening’s headline act, the Jessica Lynne Band, is a Seattle-based country band with a lead singer from Denmark.
It will perform at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Wilder Stage.
At the Center Stage, performers will be the Olympic Peninsula Men’s Chorus, Buck Ellard, Aspire Academy, Jim Lind, Guardian Elephant and Powerhouse.
From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, the annual Clallam County Fair Talent Show will seek the county’s most talented acts on the Wilder Stage.
The talent show will award prizes to the first-, second- and third-place finishers, as selected by a panel of judges.
The final act on the Wilder Stage on Sunday will be FarmStrong, performing at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
FarmStrong performs music inspired by country, blues and bluegrass music from the 1920s through the ’50s, and folk, rock, gospel and soul music of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.
The Center Stage final lineup will be Tom Taylor, the Evergreen Fiddlers, Dean Ratzman and the Strait Wheelers.
In addition to more than 100 vendors, local governments and organizations have booths set up to provide information to customers and those they might serve.
Clallam County Public Utility District customers can get a free LED lightbulb at the PUD booth, located on the red midway behind the Expo Building.
The PUD purchased thousands of the energy-saving bulbs, and customers can stop by the booth to pick up their gift bags, said Mike Howe, PUD spokesman.
Mutton Bustin’ is making an appearance at 1:15 p.m., 3:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday at the KidZone.
In Mutton Bustin,’ children who weigh 55 pounds or less gear up to ride a “bucking” sheep — a traditional junior rodeo event for the youngest competitors.
Young mutton busters ride for free.
Professional photographs of each child’s ride will be available for sale. The fair will continue through Sunday with additional activities, concerts and events each day.
For more information, visit www.clallam.net/Fair.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
