SUMMIT STATION - Additional gates were open an hour early Friday at the Schuylkill County Fair as more people turned out earlier than expected for the competitions, activities and entertainment on Country Day.
"That's a good sign," said fair President Paul T. Kennedy as he gave the order to open the gates about 5 p.m.
Kennedy said there were 2,762 at the fair Thursday night, the first decrease in attendance this year compared to last year. However, Kennedy was confident early Friday evening that attendance for Country Night would make up for the slight loss.
Sponsored by Schaeffer's Harley Davidson, Orwigsburg, Country Night featured the 4-H/FFA Master Livestock Showman Contest, a hay bale tossing competition, line dancing with DJ Chicken Nugget, and musical performances by up-and-coming country star Jason Michael Carroll.
"We're excited because of all the hype in the music industry behind (Carroll)," Kennedy said. "We think that it's going to be an exciting night."
Kennedy said he hoped the country star would help attract people from outside the area to the fair.
"The fair in general helps boost the local economy by bringing in out-of-towners. That was a target audience," Kennedy said.
This year's event featured a total of 98 vendors, including 31 food vendors with more than 300 different types of food, Kennedy said.
"That's definitely an increase from last year," he said.
Festivities began Friday with a tractor parade to the theme of Harley Hog shortly after the gates opened at 4 p.m. The Master Livestock Showman contest started about 5 p.m. at the Livestock Show Ring.
"This is the culmination of the whole week's competitions," said Briana Shealer, show steward and 4-H educator and coordinator for the Penn State extension.
Shealer said that the Master Livestock Showman competition includes the top of their division and category from the animal shows earlier in the week.
"Now they have to show the species to a judge," Shealer said. "They might not know how, but they better learn quick. They are judged on how well they present the animal to a judge."
They do not show off their own animal, she said.
There are three divisions for the Master Showman competition. The junior division is for ages 8 to 12; intermediate for ages 13 to 15; and senior for 16 and older. There were a total of 16 contestants this year.
While they may have been nervous about handling a new animal, Shealer said they were also excited to learn something new.
The winner of each division received a green jacket Friday.
Another popular activity at the fair Friday was the "Farming for a Day" tent sponsored by the Dunn family of the New Ringgold area.
"Basically, our tent is for children and adults to educate themselves about what goes on at a farm and gives them an idea of where their food comes from before it hits the shelves at the grocery store," Susan Dunn said.
The activity tent featured a station showing the procedure of milking a cow complete with an automated cow, crafts, a functioning beehive contained in glass, freshly-hatched baby chickens and a group of baby ducklings trained to go down a slide.
"We enjoy watching the kids and watching them learn," Dunn said.
Dunn said the educational tent was put together at the fair three years ago in memory of her nephew, Robert "Bobby" Dunn, who passed away during the week of the fair that year.
"It's a hard week but it's a way to get comfort," Dunn said. "He would enjoy it."
The last day of the fair starts at 10 a.m. today with an antique tractor pull and concludes with musical performances. Vocal Trash will be performing their high-energy variety act at 7 and 9 p.m. and this year's Schuylkill County Idol winners will be performing at 8 p.m.