The Burlington County Farm Fair opened for its 74th season amid temperatures in the 90s on Tuesday.

SPRINGFIELD — The Burlington County Farm Fair is back and its guaranteed to be a hot time.

After last year’s break, a heat wave has hit Burlington County just in time for the annual Farm Fair, which officially opened Tuesday for its 74th season. Temperatures are expected to hover in the high 90s until the fair closes Saturday and with high humidity it could feel like well over 100 degrees at the county fairgrounds on Jacksonville-Jobstown Road each day.

But the show must go on.

In the extreme heat, 4-H members have to get creative when it comes to keeping the animals cool. Leader of the 4-H Goat Gang, Lydia Francis, wasted no time in taking precaution to ensure the animals' safety Tuesday.

The 4-H Goat Exhibition and Obstacle Course was moved up earlier in the day so that the animals did not have to face the high afternoon temperatures in the 90s.

Due to the high temperatures, the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for Wednesday through Sunday.

“We try to stay hydrated, with plenty of water,” said Francis, of Bordentown. “We absolutely make sure that our goats have water.”

Francis said that the children are constantly checking the goats’ water buckets and refreshing them with cold water, making sure that the animals do not overheat.

“We’ve been checking their water about every hour,” said John Francis, as he sat in a pen with a goat on either side of him. At age 14, he's been a member of the club for the past six years.

Members of the gang and animal friends alike could be found keeping cool by the many fans set up under the shaded tent.

Opening night was expected to be the coolest night of the fair, with temperatures expected to rise during the week and the heat index up to 110 degrees or more for the weekend.

Despite the heat, Lydia Francis said she believes that the fair will have a big turnout.

“We get the biggest crowd at night,” she said. “Last year, at the goat tent, people were lined up all the way down and out across the path, so we do expect the same this year.”

John Francis agreed, noting that the fair has gone on during heat waves before and that it doesn’t affect the animals too much. 4-Hers and fair fans alike wait all year for the celebration of county agriculture and summer fun.

“I like getting our name out there. We’re not a very big club and there’s not many people in Burlington County that have goats,” said John, of Bordentown.

His favorite memories at the fair are the ones that he gets to make while meeting and talking to new people, letting them know what he and the rest of the gang do.

“I like getting to know people and showing them what I’ve done my whole life,” said John. “I treat (the goats) like family, they are like my family. I’d like to get into other things, I just don’t know if I could ever give them up.”

On Wednesday night, the fair will crown royalty from among five competitors with the annual Farm Air Queen pageant. The fair will also feature its daily tractor parade, 4-H exhibits, amusements, food, vendors and more.