FARMINGTON — Rides and displays were being set up Wednesday for the opening of the 176th annual Farmington Fair beginning Sunday.

The Franklin County Agricultural Society annual exhibition will take place Sunday, Sept. 18, through Saturday, Sept. 24. Pari-mutuel racing is held daily at 2 p.m. 

Activities and exhibits include rides, games of chance, music, animals, food and historical displays.

One game, Panning for Gold, will be the highlight of the midway, said Darryl Seamon of the Farmington Elks Lodge No. 2430. 

The game, sponsored by the lodge, is a longtime feature, part of the fair for nearly 35 years, he said. 

Seamon, his wife, Judy, and Elks member Lou Webster have run the game for nearly 10 years, he said. The three were dusting and cleaning the game Wednesday in preparation.

At 25 cents a play, the money raised all goes into the community and supports Franklin County youth activities and veterans groups, Webster said.

Similar organizations have long been part of the fair, including beano games offered by the American Legion and displays by the Western Maine Beekeepers and Western Maine Blacksmiths associations. Maple syrup demonstrations are held daily by local sap producers. 

Exhibits by local granges are featured in the Exhibition Hall, and historical societies will bring the past back to life. Animal shows by 4-H  members, horse and oxen-pulling by farmers from around the state, remain an important part of the fair.

Smokey’s Greater Shows will return with a variety of carnival rides.

Monday is Agriculture Education Day, when children in kindergarten to grade four can learn about making butter, cider pressing and making paper, among other things. 

Senior days take place on Tuesday and Thursday, when those 62 and older are admitted to the fair at a reduced rate.

Ride specials for children are offered Monday and Wednesday. 

A drag race, Drag Your Neighbor, is set to take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday, and a demolition derby ends the fair at 7 p.m. Saturday night.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net

For a full schedule of Farmington Fair activities and exhibits, go to www.farmingtonfairmaine.com.