MILLVILLE -- The Cumberland County Fair, New Jersey's oldest county fair, began its 47th year at the fairgrounds on Carmel Road Tuesday.

The fair began yesterday afternoon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and parade of the local 4-H clubs, and will run through Saturday, July 11. Although a day shorter than previous years, event coordinators are expecting the fair to be a success.

Over the many years of the fair's existence -- whose roots date back to 1695 in Greenwich -- event coordinators have looked again and again for new attractions to keep people's ever-changing interest and keep up attendance.

"Years ago, horse racing was the big thing at the fair and everybody had their own horses... But things change over the years and we do try to change with it," said Terry Pangburn, president of the Cumberland County Fair Association.

Even after 47 years, the Cumberland County Fair continues to offer countless attractions for people of all ages to enjoy. The reasons the 2015 county fair is worth a visit include:

1. The demolition derby (7 p.m.) and mud bog (1 p.m.) (mud pit car obstacle course race) at the grand stand area -- Saturday, July 11.

Two events that always draw a big crowd, the demolition derby and mud bog will take place on the final day of the fair.

Gates for the destruction-filled demolition derby will open at 5 p.m. at the grand stand area. The derby will start at 7:00 p.m. Admission is $10 and $5 for children under 4 feet tall. Admission to sit in the pit area of the derby arena is $20 and anyone entering must be at least 18 years-old with a valid photo ID or Driver's License.

The messy mud bog race will begin at the same area earlier in the day at 1 p.m. Admission is $15.

2. The nightly South Jersey Deviler Live Entertainment shows -- Wednesday, July 8 through Friday, July 10.

One of the key changes the fair added last year was a series of live entertainment shows sponsored by Ken Camp, publisher of comedy newspaper The South Jersey Deviler. Thanks to Camp's sponsorship, live entertainment including comedians, ventriloquists, jugglers, even a hypnotist and strongman are now on-hand for festivalgoers.

"The Deviler shows are a different show every night with usually two performers... So, we're just trying to give it a variety of different type things so the people really have a choice of what they watch, and that has seemed to be working out very well," said Pangburn.

3. The countless 4-H attractions -- throughout each day.

Although it's not specifically known as a county 4-H fair like most counties, the Cumberland County Fair has always had a strong rural heritage. That heritage will be heavily reflected each day at the fair with various 4-H attractions, such as a 4-H Lamb and Sheep show, Rabbit and Small Animal show, Poultry show, Cattle and Swine show, Herpetology (Amphibian and Reptile) show, Goat show, Dog show and more. Another featured livestock-oriented attraction will be the always-popular pig races throughout each day of the fair.

"It's an agricultural fair and Cumberland County is rich in agricultural enterprise and its people are steeped in agriculture," said Douglas Fisher, Secretary of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

4. Amusement rides featuring wrist band nights -- daily; wristband nights are Wednesday, July 8 and Thursday, July 9.

At most fairs, amusement rides are usually the most popular attractions, and the Cumberland County Fair is no exception, according to Pangburn. Amusements of America will set up for various rides every day with wristbands available for $20 on Wednesday and Thursday. A wristband purchase will give the rider access to unlimited rides throughout the entire day; a no-brainer for thrill-seekers.

Sometimes criticized for safety concerns, Pangburn believes mobile amusement rides like those of Amusements of America are the safest way you can go.

"People had concerns about safety, but I always felt that (the rides) are the safest around because they're inspected everywhere they go and not just inspected once or twice a year; they're inspected weekly. Amusements of America has some very good rides and they brought in a lot of good stuff this year," said Pangburn.

5. The first-ever Baby Strollers and Kids Wagon Parade and Contest -- Wednesday, July 8 at 1 p.m.

New to the fair this year, the Baby Strollers and Kids Wagon Parade and Contest will feature children up to age 3 being dolled up and paraded, starting at 2:15 p.m. Categories for the contestants include: Jersey Fresh Farmer Kid, Little Prince, Little Princess, County Fair Theme and Push-Pull-Drag.

6. An expanded variety of food vendors from previous years.

Thanks to the diligent work of volunteers, the 2015 county fair will feature its widest array of food vendors in nearly a decade, according to Pangburn.

"We have a wider range of food vendors this year than we've had in the past ten years. Some people have helped out and did an exception job with vendors, and we have more vendors than we've had for many years," said Pangburn.

"I really like the food. (It's) really good. I wouldn't expect to come to a fair and get crab cakes... It's awesome," said Shellby Watts, 16, of Vineland. Watts won Miss New Jersey Junior Teen in 2014-2015 USA National Miss pageant and was at the opening day of the fair with other local pageant winners on Tuesday.

7. Live music nightly -- Wednesday, July 8 through Saturday, July 10 starting at 7 p.m.

Various musical acts will take to the fair's midway stage, beginning at 7 p.m. every night. Acts include: Moe Fishbone, Dave Deluca and the Danny Eyer Band. Live music will be played on the main show stage Saturday night at 7 p.m. when Good Tymes Band performs.

8. Watermelon (4 p.m.) and pie-eating (5 p.m.) contests -- Wednesday, July 8.

These eating contests have been a messy mainstay at the fair for years. The watermelon-eating contest is open to children ages 4 to 12, while pie-eating contest is open to all ages. Trophies will be awarded during each contest.

9. Mike Trout autographed bat raffle -- Saturday, July 11 at 8 p.m.

No fair or festival would be complete without a raffle. The Cumberland County Fair recently received their license for raffling and will be giving away an authentic baseball bat signed by Millville's own Mike Trout, the 2014 American League Most Valuable Player. Raffle ticket prices are $5. The winner does not have to be present to win.

10. Kid's Day -- Wednesday, July 8, 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Often the most popular day of the fair, Kid's Day will begin with the first 500 children in attendance receiving a free gift. Also, all children under 4 feet tall will be admitted for free.

"We have a kid, so we go where she goes," said Traci McFarland of Bridgeton about her 3 year old daughter Alyssa. "We spent $60 out here."

11. Senior Citizen's Day -- Thursday, July 9, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The children aren't the only ones who get their own day at the fair. Senior Citizens will receive free admission all day on Thursday and everyday before 6 p.m.

12. Extensive volunteer efforts have improved the fairgrounds greatly over previous years.

Aside from improving food vendor variety, a team of over 20 volunteers working with the County Fair Association have worked tirelessly to spruce up the fairgrounds, which have suffered a great deal of wear and tear over their 47 years of use.

Complicating matters is the fact that despite "Cumberland County" being in the fair's name, it is not backed by any budget.

"We're not on anybody's budget. We're not on the county budget or state budget or city budget. What we exist on is what we take in at our date and when we rent the grounds," said Pangburn.

The fair received a $23,000 donation from Ashley Construction, which allowed two buildings--the fairgrounds' visitor's station and the Cumberland County Sheriff's and EMS station--to be renovated. The buildings had not been renovated since the fair came to the Millville fairgrounds in 1968.

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and the generous donations like those from Ashley Construction, the fairground is expecting one of its best fairs in a while.

"To be honest with you, this year is a fair to remember. We want people that haven't been out here for a few years--or have been out here for the last two years and saw the buildings in dire need of repairs--to see a difference," said volunteer Kathy Wright.

13. County fairs are an important part of local community tradition.

Multiple generations will flood the fairgrounds through Saturday, continuing a tradition that has filled many people's minds with memories; memories that they will hopefully pass on to their children, and so on.

"There's life-long memories to be made out here at the county fair. There's just something magical about (it), that's all there is to it," said Wright.

The "magic" will continue every day at 3001 Carmel Rd. in Millville. Hours are 1-11 p.m. on Wednesday; 4-11 p.m. on Thursday; 4 p.m.-midnight on Friday and 1 p.m.-midnight on Saturday.

Children ages 3 and under will be admitted for free, while children ages 4-9 will be charged $3 and people 10 and older will pay $5. Parking is free.

For more information on the Cumberland County Fair, visit http://www.cumberlandcofair.com/.

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Stephen Pistone may be reached at spistone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Steve_Pistone. Find NJ.com on Facebook.