Prepare to be thrilled, entertained, educated and well fed — the La Crosse Interstate Fair returns to West Salem next week.

The fair will run July 16-20 and feature a wide variety of entertainment and events. Sponsored by the La Crosse County Agricultural Society, this is the 118th year for the La Crosse Interstate Fair, and it is the 51st anniversary of it being held in West Salem.

“The fair, by far, is the largest purpose of the ag society,” said Jeff Schmidt, president of the La Crosse County Agricultural Society. “We’ve got a lot of local entertainment, and there is something for all ages. Whether you’re a little 3- or 4-year-old who wants to see the animals or go on rides or you’re 60 or 70 years old and you come to see the antique farm machines, there’s something here.”

Special entertainment this year ranges from magic shows to kids shows to musical entertainment performed throughout the fair, including live music the nights of July 17-19.

Mr. Ed’s Magical Midway will return with rides and carnival games all five days, and the car races are back as well. And there will be a plethora of displays and exhibits — from 4-H to the Master Gardeners to the traditional judged exhibits for junior and open classes.

Some of the more popular events will be there as well, such as the Little Squirts Dairy Show and the horse pull on Friday and the Super Farmer Olympics on Saturday.

Admission to the grounds is free, and there are no parking fees.

“You don’t find many fairs that offer a free gate and free parking,” said Marla Stello, secretary for the agricultural society and event coordinator for the fair. “It’s been our standby since the ag society took it over. It does entice families to come, and that was our target.”

With the exception of some of the special entertainment, not too much has changed with events compared to previous years. Stello said the goal is to provide a family atmosphere and they want to keep the many events that fairgoers have come to expect and love.

“We try to keep the same type of format where it’s family friendly,” she said. “With that, we change out some of the free stage entertainment but keep a lot of it the same. We try to kind of keep a little tradition but add variety.”

Thanks to decent weather last year, the 2007 Interstate Fair drew record crowds and was deemed one of the best in its history. In fact, it was so well attended that 4-H food stands ran out of food.

“We ran out of food on (that) Friday, and we were scrambling,” Stello said. “This year, there’s a plan in action if that happens again.”

Stello said another large aspect of the fair is the number of exhibits entered in junior and open classes. Both she and Schmidt said that is a key component of the fair because it offers an educational experience for fairgoers.

“I hope they learn something new that they haven’t learned before,” Schmidt said.

This year, according to Stello, there are over 12,000 items entered by about 560 junior exhibitors and about 150 open-class exhibitors. The youth numbers are similar to previous years but there are more open-class exhibits with some new exhibitors. She said the total number of exhibits is expected to be a little less than last year due to the weather playing a part with flower and vegetable entries.

“The weather has played a role on the number of flowers and vegetable entries, which is always the case,” Stello said. “Last year, with the early spring, we were abundant with a maturing crop of gardening items and annual and perennial flowers. This year, with the late spring and conditions, we will see a decline in this area.

“This is anticipated. The weather plays a huge part in the success of these entries.”

This year’s Fairest of the Fair is Kayla Wegner of Bangor, who will be the official hostess for the event. Wegner said she hopes area residents and visitors will take the time to see what the fair has to offer.

“There’s rides, there’s plenty of food to eat, there’s different games to play and there are many exhibits,” said Wegner, a recent graduate of Bangor High School. “It’s just fun to look around and see all the different, cool things we have in La Crosse.”

West Salem Village President Dennis Manthei, too, invites everyone to come to the fair and enjoy the community and area.

“The Interstate Fair provides an opportunity for the residents to showcase some of the best there is in La Crosse County — animals, produce, photography, woodworking, flowers, farm crops and other items,” Manthei said. “The fair also provides an opportunity for fun and visiting with people throughout the Coulee Region. The village is pleased to be part of this event.”

The fair begins at 4:45 p.m. on July 16 with the official opening, and the fair ends on July 20 with exhibits released at 6 p.m.

The fairgrounds are on Highway M just north of Highway 16 in West Salem.

For more fair coverage and a complete list of events, check out the special section inserted in this week’s paper.

For more information about the La Crosse Interstate Fair, call 786-1616 or visit www.westsalemwi.com.