FRYEBURG — The Fryeburg Fair opens its gates for the 163rd year on Sunday.

A large contingent of campers and exhibitor trailers have been traveling to the fairground on Route 5 for Maine’s Blue Ribbon Classic that runs through Sunday, Oct. 6.

“We have exhibitors from Canada and Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut. We even have some from Florida,” said fair spokeswoman Rachel Andrews Damon. 

Fair-goers will see more than 3,000 head of cattle, as well as horses, sheep, goats, hogs, poultry, rabbits, oxen, agriculture and farming exhibitions, Damon said. They will also enjoy the traditional fair events, including the popular Woodsmen’s Field Day, horse and ox pulling, draft horse tandem hitches (up to eight horses) and pig and calf scrambles.

Craft exhibition halls featuring handiwork, photos, art, forest and wood products and a full museum of old farm equipment and memorabilia with live demonstrations are some of the offerings on the fairgrounds, Damon said. There will also be the 1835 “Little Red Schoolhouse,” cooking contests, flower shows, a milking parlor, firemen’s musters, sheepdog trials, tractor pulling, 4WD pulls and pari-mutuel harness racing on the fair’s half-mile track.

Damon said new additions this year include a 9,000-square-foot expo area that replaces two exhibition barns that were taken down. The new expo center has a conference room and air conditioning, and the kitchen will be available for rent year round, she said.

Another addition on a much smaller scale is the “up in the air” goat play area.

“You watch it. It’s just for goats,” Damon said when asked if participants could climb up in the area.

Nightly entertainment ranges from traditional country music to a marching band. The 2013 Night Show headliners are Tony Boffa Band, Diamond Rio and Jana Kramer.

Thursday night will feature two shows: Shea Rose at the Grandstand and Jose Duddy at the Livestock Show Arena.

Friday’s show is The Band of Heathens.

Saturday will feature the March Fourth Marching Band.

The annual fireworks show will be held at 9 p.m. Friday and the Grand Parade will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday.

General admission is $10 daily and includes 8 p.m. night shows. Children under 12 enter for free. Tuesday is Senior Citizens Day and those 65 and older are admitted free.

Gates open at 7 a.m. Harness racing is at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. This year the fair will accept credit cards for admission only at all ticket gates (Visa, MasterCard and Discover.)

For further information go to www.fryeburgfair.org or call the Main Office at (207) 935-3268.