Look at the breadth: where else will you get the chance to see an arena full of determined cowboys and cowgirls and fierce broncs and bulls followed by a stage full of nearly antique rock stars amidst a four-day cluster of hundreds of people enjoying the dog days of summer, carrying around mounds of cotton candy and 25 cent inflatable toys which they just spent upwards of $10 trying to win?

Oh, and don’t forget daily pig races sponsored by Coors and Hollywood’s Educated Parrots over on the family stage. That’s right. It must be county fair time again.

The traditional Kitsap summertime splurge matches the county fair-essential Kitsap Stampede and Xtreme Bulls rodeo challenges with old time rock and roll “has-been-but-we’re-still-kickin-it” bands and new school “hoping-to-hack-it-on-the-county-fair-circuit” pop/alt/country acts with a hearty helping of fried food and carbonated beverages at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds in East Bremerton.

And to get yourself riled up before all of that goes down — carnival rides and booths full of clever items you don’t need but likely can’t resist buying because you’ll have to walk past it all day long.

Because let’s face it, an offer like “free ‘til noon” admission is a hard thing to pass up when tickets can cost anywhere from $7-$16 each. Such will be the case on the Fair’s first day, today — “free admission ‘til noon for everyone,” while active duty, retired and dependent military folks will get in free all day, the Fair’s press release read.

(On Aug. 23, kids under 12 are free, seniors over 60 get in half price, while Aug. 24 it’ll be 25 cent admission until noon for everyone.)

For those who stick it out to the end of Day 1, the third incarnation — version 3.0 — of the original “American Band” — Grand Funk Railroad — will be headlining the Kitsap County Fair and Stampede’s opening night. Kitsap’s “Summerfair Band” the Joey James Dean Band will open the evening’s main stage entertainment at 8:30 p.m.

The next night, Aug. 23’s headliner is a country-singing hunk bracing for stardom — Craig Morgan — who will follow Katie Webster — a local North Kitsap country gal bracing for her beginning.

What’s Up recently caught up with a man who’s likely been in the same place in his career as both Webster and Morgan and will be in actual proximity of under the radar singers at the 2007 Fair and Stampede — Don Brewer, drummer, songwriter, original member and glue of the revamped Grand Funk Railroad.

For anyone scratching their heads, Don “Comin’ to your town, we’ll help you party it down” Brewer penned Grand Funk Railroad’s first hit “We’re An American Band” released in 1974.

“We were kind of in a situation where it was a sink-or-swim time for us,” Brewer said in a phone interview, remembering the period which inspired that song. “We’d been doing the underground radio FM thing for a while then all of a sudden it wasn’t underground anymore. They weren’t playing seven-minute songs anymore, they were playing hits. And if we wanted to stay on, we had to go commercial, so I said, ‘OK, here is my interpretation of commercial …’ I just put myself into it, and that’s what I saw.”

“Up all night with Freddie King/I got to tell you, poker’s his thing/Booze and ladies, keep me right/As long as we can make it to the show tonight,” he wrote.

And it clicked. A No. 1 single in 1974 and a classic rock legend that the band still plays to this day.

“Whenever I hear ‘We’re an American Band’ back then or today, it has something about it that just sounds like a hit record,” Brewer said.

On Aug. 22 Kitsap has a chance, 30 years later, to decide whether or not they think that song still sounds like a hit record through Grand Funk’s current line-up featuring Brewer on drums, (original) Mel Schacher on bass, Bruce Kulick on six string, Tim Cashion on the keys, with former .38 Special singer Max Carl out front.

“He’s one of the last blue-eyed soul singers on the planet and a perfect fit,” Brewer said of Carl.

For more information on the 36 year-old Grand Funk visit www.grandfunkrailroad.com.

For more information on the fair schedule, check the box to the right or go online to www.kitsapgov.com/parks/fair_stampede.

The Kitsap County Fairgrounds and Thunderbird Stadium are located at 1200 NW Fairgrounds Rd. in Bremerton.