News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena Fair Board President Jacob Bowen stands next to a banner promoting entertainment events at the Alpena County Fair which begins Saturday. Bowen said people can expect a little larger fair this year with more rides and entertainment.

ALPENA — The Alpena County Fair kicks off this weekend and will offer a laundry list of things for families to enjoy.

Organizers say this year’s fair will be a bit larger than last summer’s and will offer a plethora of things for people to enjoy over the course of the week.

The first three days of the fair are primarily animal and 4-H related events, with the rides and games of the midway opening for business at about 5 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

Today, Sunday, and Monday, there are various horse shows and other farm animals that will be on exhibit.

The farm animals and their owners continue to be the top draw on Tuesday, until the carnival rides are erected. Fair organizers have set a tentative time of 5 p.m. for the carnival to begin.

The first large event is Wednesday night, when the annual Super Kicker rodeo begins at 7 p.m. The cost of the event is 12 for adults and $6 for children 10 years old and older.

Music will fill the air on Thursday, as a pair of bands will perform.

Kaleb Austin will headline the concert, with Alpena band High Speed playing in a supporting role. The concert is free to the public.

The popular bump-and-run takes place Friday at 7 p.m. and the tractor pull is Saturday beginning at 6 p.m.

Alpena Fair Board President Jacob Bowen said the board members and volunteers have worked hard for nearly a year to offer a larger fair, which will include more entertainment options, many of which are free.

“It is always our goal to make the fair the best we can for the people,” Bowen said. “We’ll have a few more rides than last year, more animal shows, a BMX bike show, and it will be a good all around atmosphere for families with a lot for them to do.”

The fair in Alpena is a marquee event in Northeast Michigan and Bowen said people from all over the area come to town to enjoy it because it is one of the largest in Northern Michigan.

He said people take pride in the fair and it holds a special place in their hearts.

“I think the fair is always associated with family, summer, and something that is a tradition in the community,” he said. “Like the Brown Trout Festival or the Fourth of July fireworks, it is something you look forward to and just go and enjoy. Generations of people have enjoyed this fair.”

Bowen said the fair board is always looking for volunteers to help plan and run the fair. He said people can volunteer as many or as few hours as they wish.

“If you only have two hours to give, we can still have you work the front gate or ticket booth and it helps a lot,” he said. “Without volunteers, we wouldn’t have a fair because there is no way the board could do all the work.”

A complete list of events and times for the fair are available on the Alpena County Fair Facebook page.