CLINTON – In a community where dairy cows outnumber people, it is no surprise that the annual fair has a distinctly agricultural emphasis.

From Thursday to Sunday, Sept. 4-7, the Clinton Lions Club Agricultural Fair will bring traditional events such as a woodsman’s competition, donkey and mule shows, farm tractor pulls, draft horse and oxen competitions, pie contests and a 4-H working steer show.

With a nod to the 21st century, organizers have included a midway, vendors, music and entertainment for all ages.

Jon Whitten, fair chairman, said the midway would be presented by Cushing Amusement Co., which was chosen by the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs as the Most Improved Midway for 2007.

Whitten said the 55th annual parade would begin downtown at 10 a.m.

Whitten also said the Lions Club has purchased additional land at the rear of the Route 100 fairgrounds to provide space for agriculture competitions.

On Thursday, the first day of the fair, the Miss Maine Dairy contest will be held, and this year a new princess scholarship has been added, Whitten said.

The Dairy Princess Pageant, for girls 14-17, offers a $1,000 scholarship to the winner and $500 to the runner-up. The junior princess will get $150. The Dairy Princess will represent the industry in conventions, expositions and parades, including the Eastern States Exposition in September in Massachusetts.

Free stage shows run daily, including Bob Elston and the Road Rangers – doing three shows Friday, Sept. 5 – and the R.B. Hall Memorial Band, Tickles the Clown, Country Sidekicks Line Dancing and Debbie Myers, the Hurdy Gurdy Man, all Saturday, Sept. 6. Sunday features magician Great Stephan, a unique baby show, and Maureen’s Young American Dance Review.

Mechanical pulling events for Thursday include street-class pickup pulling. Friday there will be farm tractor pulling, followed Saturday by pickup pulling, minitractor pulling and a children’s pedal tractor pulling contest.

An arm wrestling contest will be held Saturday afternoon, as will oxen pulling and logging events.

Individual exhibits include home arts and crafts, photography, cooking, canning, quilting, garden vegetables, scarecrows, farm displays, market baskets and tallest sunflowers.

For more information on any event, call the fair office at 426-9008.

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487-3187