PRESQUE ISLE – Children and their parents visited farm animals, ate cotton candy, hot dogs and hot sausages, watched tractor pulls and rode carnival rides, and tried to bring home prizes from carnival games during the opening weekend of the 151st running of the Northern Maine Fair.

The association added a music festival to the schedule this year, in an attempt to bring even more people to the festival, which is dubbed “Maine’s Finest Family Entertainment.”

Despite a cool day, fairgoers, especially children, were thrilled with the scores of animals at the rabbit show, a petting zoo, and in the livestock buildings, the base of the annual extravaganza, according to Northern Maine Fair President Ed Nickerson.

“This is the fair of the people of Aroostook County,” he said while walking around the fairgrounds Saturday afternoon. “We are trying different things, like the music festival, to bring even more people here during the 10 days.

“We have more animals, a lot more young people involved, and we expect the baby beef competition to be even bigger and better,” he said. “Kids put in a lot of work with these animals they raise over the year.”

Nickerson stressed the work of the youngsters and the adults who help them in programs such as 4-H. Anyone carrying a 4-H card enters the fairgrounds free during the annual fair, which runs through Aug. 6.

On Saturday, the Shining Star 4-H from Caribou staffed the food booth outside the animal area. They were dishing out hot dogs and hamburgers, salads and steaks.

Kids were having a great time in the animal area. One mule needed extra care from its owners,, not really wanting to remain in a small fenced-in area.

Children were cautioned by several signs not to stick fingers through the wire fences of the rabbit cages. Fingers could be mistaken for carrots.

The grandstand was nearly filled when the roar of tractors signaled the start of tractor pulls Saturday afternoon. Exhaust pipes spit fumes and fire as they warmed up for the competitions.

Joan Gerard of John’s foods smiled, hedging at giving out her name, as she grilled Italian hot sausages, fried onions, hot dogs and steak bombs at one of the many food booths in the midway.

The Lawrence Carr Super Midway was quiet, but it was still just after noon – the opening time. Still, children urged parents and grandparents for tickets to ride the many options including merry-go-rounds, sailboats, small airplanes and electric bumping cars.

Craft buildings bulged with items made by Aroostook County people. Included were all kinds of home-grown vegetables, many the pride of their owners.

The biggest draws, according to Nickerson, are the demolition derbies, where locals go against one another in destroying cars, truck pulls where neighbors pit their pickup trucks against their neighbors’ and the annual Fourth of July fireworks in August, which will be Tuesday night.

“The locals competing against one another is a lot of fun for people,” Nickerson said.

“We are really hoping the music festival goes well,” Nickerson said. “It’s something new, and we offer all kinds of music – jazz, country, gospel, on different nights.”

Daily music concerts are held in the early evening to allow entire families to attend. Performers include the Don Campbell Band, Debbie Myers Band, a jazz night, folk music night, gospel music, bluegrass, a fiddling jamboree, rock and roll night and classical music, most with talent from Aroostook County.

The annual fair, held at the Presque Isle Fairgrounds, is self-supporting, one of the few like it in Maine.

“This isn’t the Presque Isle Fair,” Nickerson said. “It’s the Aroostook County Fair.

“It belongs to everyone in Aroostook County,” he said. “I hope they all feel it’s their fair.”

The fair is open every day, from 8 a.m. on weekends, and 1 p.m. during the week till late night.

Last year, Nickerson said, more than 35,000 people attended the fair throughout its 10 days.

“That’s more than half the population of Aroostook County,” he said, beaming. “We hope to have even more people this year. We hope the nightly local talent of music will bring even more people in.”