SOMERSET CO., MD. - The 81st annual Somerset County Fair kicks off tomorrow in Princess Anne, and organizers hope that more will be in attendance than years past.
The fair will showcase a variety of food, games, and goods from around the county.
President of the Somerset County Fair Board Ronnie Haymaker says he's optimistic about this year's fair.
"I'm hoping for a great turnout," Haymaker said. "The weather looks to be great you know and after this long, dreary week I hope people are ready to get outside."
The sentiment is shared by Madison Clayton, a former somerset county pageant queen who's been involved with the fair since she was five years old.
"I think it's gonna be a great fair year," Clayton said. "We started out with our pageant, that's what kicked off this week, and we had great attendance there and everybody seemed so excited for the fair".
Haymaker shared this excitement, hoping it spreads to the rest of the county.
He said that fair attendance has declined in recent years. This has made it harder to secure vendors and continue to get funding, according to Haymaker.
"Yeah, I mean we would love to have more attendance," Haymaker said. "I mean, we put a lot of work into this to make it happen, and it's - certainly would love to see an extra thousand people enjoy our work."
Haymaker said that it's hard for the fair to keep up with other, larger events in the area.
However, for those like volunteer Lauren Skorobatsch, the size of the fair is part of it's charm.
"Everyone knows each other," Skorobatsch said. "I mean, it's Somerset County everyone knows each other no matter what anyway. And so, at the fair, you know, you turn here, there's always someone you know and for me it's just like home almost."
Despite possible attendance challenges, Haymaker said the fair will continue to be free to all. He said he hopes to see a high turnout this weekend at the Somerset County Fair.