The King County Fair takes over the Enumclaw Expo Center grounds this week, starting its four-day run at noon Thursday.

The fair will again be operated by Universal Fairs, the Tennessee-based organization that breathed new life into a floundering enterprise. After King County systematically diminished the fair and finally sliced funding altogether, the city of Enumclaw made a one-year stab at offering a summer attraction. Universal Fairs offers its Enumclaw attraction for the third year.

As usual, the fair will feature carnival rides and a midway, plenty of food vendors, a commercial building filled with vendors hawking everything from T-shirts to hot tubs and barns stocked with animals. There also will be racing pigs, a petting zoo and a “mutton bustin’” competition where kids ride sheep.

The lineup of musical acts include Born to be Wild consists of former members of Steppenwolf; Mainstreet Band who does a Bob Seger tribute;  the Cherry Cherry Band performs songs of Neil Diamond; Silver, Blue and Gold offers songs by rockers Bad Company; and Stevie Ray Guns offers a tribute to blues great Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Performing at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. every day will juggler Alex Zerbe, offering his brand of family-friendly comedy.

Additionally, 4-H kids from throughout King County have prepared photography, food and clothing displays, various public presentations/performances, Lego robots and more. They have trained their dogs, cats, horses and goats for the King County Fair, with the hope of qualifying to show at September’s Washington State Fair in Puyallup.

The fair runs from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday, noon to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 for those 13 and older and $5 for kids 5 to 12 years of age, with children 4 and younger admitted free. A family pass – two adults, two children and two all-day ride wristbands – are available online.

For more information, visit www.thekingcountyfair.com.