SPRINGFIELD – As many as 15,000 people will stream through town by Monday, thanks to a 155-year tradition – the Springfield Fair.

The event, which started in earnest at 5 p.m. Thursday on property off Route 169, features tractor pulls, live music, horse shows, farmer competitions, a demolition derby, talent show, and wildlife exhibits, organizer Kevin Ritchie said this week.

Among the reasons the fair has been successful for so long, Ritchie said, is its thrift.

“It’s a well-thought-out, fun family entertainment that’s inexpensive,” he said. “We are the last of the 24 licensed agricultural fairs in the state with a pay one price, which means that if you pay the daily gate admission there are unlimited mechanical rides.”

That’s not to say, however, that the fair has only one price. Depending on the day, the fair will cost $8 to $20 if customers buy tickets the day they appear; advance tickets will cost $10 to $13 for the day. For senior citizens, admission will cost $5, Ritchie said.

Much will depend on the weather, Ritchie said.

“If the weather is good Saturday, more people will go through the gates than are in the entire town of Lincoln,” he said.

The musical acts include Travis Humphrey and Bill Chinnock, whom Ritchie described as a poor man’s Bruce Springsteen.

Among the farmers’ contests: hay bale picking, firewood gathering, potato picking, pig calling and wheelbarrow rolling, Ritchie said.

“If that’s not fun, I don’t know what is,” he said.

A wildlife exhibition will feature a black bear, an eagle and a mountain lion, he said. Antique vehicles will also be featured. For more information, go to the fair’s Web site, www.springfield-fair.com.