The annual Stearns County Fair opens up this week on Wednesday, July 26 in Sauk Centre.

Every year, the Stearns County Fair draws 25,000 to 30,000 people to the fairgrounds to enjoy all of the fun and festivities. The 2017 season will be the 116th year that the fair has been running, and they continue to hold it at the same place it started.

Highlights of the Stearns County Fair include a draft horse parade, the Crescent City Amusements carnival, live music, a ranch rodeo, multiple demolotion derbies and many animal shows.

• Thursday, July 27 - Senior Citizens Day, demo derby at 7:30 p.m.

• Friday and Saturday, July 28-29 - Childrens' Day, with an antique tractor and draft horse parade at 7 p.m. on the fairgrounds, plus a demo derby at 7:30 p.m., all on both days; countless 4-H events take place all weekend.

• Sunday, July 30 - Catholic Mass at 10 a.m. and non-denominational worship at 11a.m., plus a kids' pedal pull at 3p.m. and a pickup / tractor pulling contest at 7 p.m.

See the full schedule on page 6 of this week's (July 27) Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.