The fair opened its doors on Thursday and will run through Sunday, Sept. 16. Some people encountered a bit of confusion on the times for Thursday's opening, which differed from the rest of the fair days. Denise Allen, fair spokeswoman, said the changes in time will be better shown on the Web site next year.

About 300,000 people are expected to attend the State Fair, Allen said. About 70 percent of the attendance comes from people along the Wasatch Front, but residents throughout the state attend. One of the oldest fairs in the nation, the Utah State Fair began in 1855 and has been held faithfully for 152 years.

The fair emphasizes learning as well as fun, Allen said. One exhibit promoting education is Little Hands on the Farm. The exhibit shows children how food gets to the store. They can gather eggs, milk a cow and pull wool from a sheep, among other things, take that to a farmers market and receive play money that they can use to buy processed food.

Allen said the best part of the fair is the exhibitors. "The best part is the roots of what this is based on," Allen said. "The agriculture, the livestock, the arts; it's what people bring to it."

The Utah State Fair employs 12 people year-round and begins planning 18 months before the fair takes place.

The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

More information can be found at www.utah-state-fair.com.

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E-mail: csmith@desnews.com