(ABC 6 News) — Fair season rolls on as the Mower County Fair in Austin opened its gates bright and early on Tuesday for the first day of festivities.

It’s the fair where good friends meet in Mower County, attracting plenty of visitors of all ages.

The President of the fair board, Kevin Finley, said it’s a long process in order to get ready for the fair.

“Last week was a very busy week. We had to get a lot of buildings ready and just fine tune things. And then you have to get all the vendors in and the 4H kids in, and the new people,” said Finley.

All the hard work and preparation obviously pays off, as the Mower County fair packs it in every year, and for good reason.

“There are a lot of different activities and different things every day. It can be very family affordable,” Finley said.

Something parents and kids not only appreciate, but consider it a summer rite of passage.

“Probably one of the coolest things is when you see the little kids, and especially the new kids, are showing or have an entry out here, and they get that ribbon for the first time,” said Finley.

But families aren’t the only ones who relish it in. Vendors say it’s a summer highlight of theirs too.

“It’s kind of a nice place for people to gather here and kind of connect and so that’s why we started doing it and that’s what we love about it,” said Josh Diaz, who is the owner of Piggy Blues BBQ in Austin.

The opening ceremonies kicked off at 5 PM on Tuesday. The rides will be open starting at 5 PM on Tuesday as well and will be open until 10 PM. For a full list of all the activities and events going on at the Mower County Fair, click here.