2014 Merced County Fair kicks off

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Merced County Fair is now underway. Organizers are expecting at least 70,000 people to walk through the gates between Wednesday and Sunday.

The theme this year is "Saluting Our Farmers and Ranchers," so some of the new attractions include a cowboy boot camp area for kids and a farm junk sculpture contest. But there are also plenty of the traditional fair favorites.

The fair is already in full swing for local 4-H and FFA students who arrived with their animals on Monday, when temperatures were still above 100 degrees.

"That heat, you ask everyone, everyone was hot in the shade, hot in the water, but thank God it cooled off today," said Josh Laupua with the Gustine FFA Chapter.

The Ag area is filled with fans and misters to keep everyone comfortable, and fair organizers are forecasting a great turnout, after a slight dip in attendance last year.

"We're hoping for better attendance than last year. With this weather we think we're going to push it over last year, which was about 70,000," said Merced County Fair Marketing Manager Diane Conway.

Visitors will find plenty of high-flying rides, carnival games and a wide variety of food -- from traditional corn dogs to unique deep-fried peaches.

Indoors you'll find everything from a lottery booth to jewelry and custom signs. Janice Brammer has been coming to the fair since she was a kid and says that's her favorite part.

"Looking at the exhibits, and walking through the commercial building, getting all the little freebees they hand out," said Brammer.

Families can also learn a little more about dealing with the drought this year by checking out special landscaping displays that show you how to save water. Fair managers are also keeping that in mind.

"At the speedway we've cut down on water usage and watering our plants and trees around the fairgrounds, so we're keeping the drought in mind here at the fair, but we're still going to have a lot of fun despite the drought," said Conway.

The fair runs through Sunday, which is Father's Day, so in honor of that, everyone gets in free from noon to 3 p.m. that day.