The Wicomico County Fair returns this year to offer residents a taste of rural life on Maryland’s lower Eastern Shore, but the presentation is all about life in the 21^st century.

Attendees expecting a traditional county fair with an agricultural theme that includes livestock, rodeo fun, fireworks and homegrown foods won’t be disappointed. Children will be treated to livestock demonstrations that harken to the county’s rural traditions and origins as well as close encounters with cute animals at a petting zoo.

The fair is traditional in many ways, but each year there are surprises – something new that often replaces something more traditional or taken for granted. And that is certainly true in 2022.

“There will be no carnival this year,” said Fair Chairman Zach Evans.

What? No carnival?

No problem.

“Instead, we will have 12 inflatables including bounce houses, an obstacle course and a slide. We are super excited about this, and are offering all-day wristbands so that kids can keep coming back throughout the day to enjoy the activity.”

The wristbands will cost $12 for Friday and Sunday, and $15 for Saturday.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the 2022 fair will take place Friday at 4 p.m. Opening-night activities will include a Classic Car Show, train rides courtesy of Hebron Depot and artisan demonstrations highlighted by glass blowing and chainsaw carving. Some items created during those demonstrations will become part of the county fair’s benefit auction, which helps fund the event and keep admission free to the public.

Another tradition in keeping with a county fair is the pageantry that culminates in the crowning of several fair queens, who go on to help with many activities throughout the three-day event. The Fair Queens Pageant is organized and directed by the Miss Delmarva Pageant.

The first evening’s activities will end with a fireworks display sponsored by Perdue Farms at dusk.

The fair re-opens Saturday morning at 10 with a second ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Wicomico Public Library’s new Mobile Learning Lab – a sort of bookmobile for the 21^st century that will make its public debut at the fair.

The Mobile Learning Lab is a 38-foot, handicap-accessible STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) vehicle. Inside is technology such as laptops, tablets, printers, a VR (virtual reality) headset, microscopes, 3-D pens, Cricut, gaming systems, free Wi-Fi, and a multitude of hands-on activities related to STEM.

The traditional fair parade will take place Saturday at noon featuring carriages and carts pulled by horses and other farm animals. No fire engines, no pickup trucks or SUVs, no 18-wheelers or other vehicles powered by engines of any size will be included.

Food will be front and center all three days, whether it’s demonstrating where food comes from, how it’s produced or how it’s prepared for the table.

The Rodeo Ring will feature the Maryland High School Rodeo Friday evening, Kindred Spirit Animal Farm with hands-on activities and demonstrations on Saturday morning and afternoon, and the Maryland High School Rodeo returns Saturday evening until closing. Kindred Spirit Animal Farms returns to the Rodeo Ring to close out the fair on Sunday.

Livestock will be on display throughout the fair along with the petting zoo for children.

Live music is another requirement for a county fair and this one is no different. The Main Stage will feature live music by local groups (and some not so local), dance performances featuring local dance students and competitions to determine who can eat the most watermelon, pie or chicken wings (and who can spit watermelon seeds the farthest).

In case you forget that you are still on Delmarva, the 5-foot frying pan that was a highlight of the long-running Delmarva Chicken Festival will be cooking again during the fair. Other food will be available for purchase throughout the event.

The Carriage House will provide some relief from the heat and sun, as well as a variety of county fair traditions. A photo contest will feature photos of local sights by Shore photographers. Traditional crafts and on Saturday, including baking, gardening and kids’ activities will be on display. Demonstrations and presentations include the Salisbury Zoo’s Scales & Tales, flower planting, a chicken and cornbread competition, cupcake smackdown contest and benefit auction on Saturday and a church service on Sunday morning.

This is not a comprehensive list of everything the fair has to offer. To get the full effect, it’s best to visit the fair and see for yourself.

“We are grateful for our sponsors, whose support makes it possible to continue offering a three-day event with no admission fee,” said Evans. “We thank Perdue Farms, Pohanka Toyota and especially our newest sponsor, Piedmont Airlines.”