The smell of cotton candy, the colorful lights of the fairway and the laughter of children is again gracing the Five County Fairgrounds at West Third Street and Fairgrounds Road as the fair kicks off its annual celebration.

The fair, which began Tuesday, will be open through Saturday night.

“Cole Amusement Co., they do our carnival part, the rides,” longtime Fair Manager Auburn Estes said. “We’ve got some new rides out here this year. The midway is, in my opinion, it’s going to look tremendously better than it has. I know that we’ve had some good shows before.”

Through Friday, ticket prices are $7 for adults, and children ages 6-11 get in for $3. Children 5 years old and under are admitted free.

Estes called the new rides “very exciting.”

On Wednesday, students with fair tickets are admitted free until 7 p.m. Home-schooled students can pick up their school tickets at the admission gate. The midway opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday, and the Teen and Miss Five County Fair Pageant will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Varner Building. A drawing will be held at 7:30 p.m. for a bicycle donated by Walmart.

“We have five different contests,” Estes said of the beauty pageants on Tuesday and Wednesday. “We’ll have three on Tuesday night and two on Wednesday night. And that’s always a big highlight. Plus all of our exhibits we have.”

The Petite, Little and Junior Miss Five County Fair pageants are Tuesday, starting at 7 p.m.

On Thursday, college students are admitted free with their university or college IDs. The midway opens at 6 p.m. Youth dairy and goat entries will be accepted from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. The Dairy Show will be held at 4 p.m. in the Varner Building, and youth goat show will follow.

Friday is Senior Citizen Day — tickets are only $2 for people 60 years old and over. The midway opens at 6 p.m., and the Country Music Showdown will be held at 6 p.m. in the Varner Building.

“We’ve got some groups coming from out of state to participate in that,” Estes said of the Country Music Showdown.

On Saturday, the ticket prices increase to $8 per adult, and children between 6-11 years old get in for $3. Children 5 and under are admitted free. The midway opens at 4 p.m., and professional wrestling, featuring Ricky Morton, will be held in the Varner Building at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

All midway opening times are subject to weather, according to fair officials.