The 127th Santa Barbara County Fair kicks off this Wednesday, July 11, and the Santa Maria Fairpark is already bustling with activity.
In the livestock areas, 4-H and FFA members are prepping their animals for show and auction.
Carson Sorheim, 13, has spent months raising a pig for the La Graciosa 4-H swine group. The showmanship competition begins Tuesday and Carson has high hopes for his pig, named "John."
"I hope tomorrow in showmanship I can win my showmanship class. There is usually only one winner. Sometimes in the past there has been two winners. And then market, hopefully, I can try to win first place and then go on to win breed champion and then hopefully try to win the whole supreme grand champion," he said.
In addition to the animals, the fair includes a carnival, arts and crafts displays, food and commercial vendors, and free live music, including performances by Smash Mouth, Trace Adkins, Kool & the Gang, and Sheila E.
The fair runs through Sunday, July 15 and is open from noon to 10 p.m. each day. General admission is $12, children ages 6-11 and seniors 62+ are $8, and kids 5 and under get in for free.
