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The 64th annual Howard County Fair begins Saturday and runs through Aug. 15, and will feature parades, amusement rides and games, live bands, and livestock and agricultural competitions.

Ride specials are offered every day, excluding Sunday, with all-you-can-ride specials each day and a "dollar ride day" special on Aug. 6.

One of the main events over the course of the fair will be the judging of local livestock raised and entered for competition by local 4-H members. The kids in the main program range from age 8 to 18 and can enter a variety of livestock to be judged in the market show or the breeding show.

In addition to these two categories, animals also can be entered into the fitting and showing competition, where the judging is not based solely on the animal, but on the 4-H'er who raised it as well.

Winners can receive prize money, in addition to special awards given by sponsors.

This year, 124 4-H'ers entered 239 market pigs, 53 4-H'ers entered 99 market lambs, 39 4-H'ers entered 69 beef steers and 29 4-H'ers entered 44 market goats, according to a press release from Howard County 4-H.

Also, more than 50 exhibitors will show about 75 4-H horse entries for judging in individual and group classes.

Sheryl Bennett, an extension educator with 4-H in Howard County, said beef steers entered in next week's competition would have been purchased for raising by a 4-H member last October or November. Breeding projects can take even longer as they are more ongoing. Livestock such as pigs, goats and sheep, are usually purchased in April and are much shorter term projects.

4-H'ers will purchase their animals at a variety of prices depending on the livestock. Bennett said sheep, lambs or goats can be first bought for anywhere between $100 and $500. Steers are much more expensive, with price ranges between $1,000 and $1,500.

The 4-H'er then has to factor in the cost of feeding their animals, paying for veterinary work and the cost to maintain the animals and their pens.

"That's what we're trying to teach as a life lesson: budgeting and learning to finance your money and your investments," Bennett said.

In the end and after the competition, the entrants are allowed to sell one of each of their livestock at the 4-H sale. A beef steer can be sold on average at $2 or $2.50 per pound, and it can weigh between 1,000 to 1,400 pounds.

"Some kids break even, some kids lose money, some kids make money," Bennett said, "Some kids use the money to pay their way through college."

The amount of work 4-H'ers put into raising their competition animals is immense. Kids will rinse and wash their animals as much as once a day, cleaning the animals, their pens and feeding them. The work a 4-H'er will put in each day can range from one hour daily to four or five hours.

Through the program and their projects, Bennett said, "They learn life skills, but they also make lifelong friends."

E-mail David Koontz at dkoontz@gazette.net.

Saturday

-The Back Pages, 7:30 and 9 p.m.

Sunday

-Baltimore's Marching Ravens,

3 p.m.

-Richie Fields & Big Country Band, 7 p.m.

Monday

-Jay Henley & Stone Broke Band,

7:30 and 9 p.m.

Tuesday

-Big Cam and the Lifters, 8 p.m.

Wednesday

-A Classic Case, 7:30 and 9 p.m.

Aug. 13

-Amateur Variety Talent Show,

7 p.m.

-Browningsville Cornet Band, 7:30 p.m.,

Aug. 14

-Common Clay, 7:30 and 9 p.m.

Aug 15

-The King Street Bluegrass Band,

7:30 and 9 p.m.