The Kitsap County Fair  & Stampede is just around the corner and is promising “Fun for the Whole Herd” at this year’s event.

Starting Aug. 20, families can expect a variety of events through Aug. 24, Sunny Saunders, Fair and Stampede Manager said. Guests can also expect some changes, including bringing in big-time star John Michael Montgomery for entertainment.

“I am really looking forward to having a great concert in the arena after Xtreme Bulls,” said Saunders. “For years the concert was located on the back of Gordon Field and started before the rodeo let out. We felt that it should be combined with our rodeo to put on an awesome show that everyone could enjoy.”

In addition to the Xtreme Bulls, locals can expect carnival rides, a rodeo and destruction derby, along with the usual fair food vendors that dot the grounds.

Additionally, the McMillian Family Trick Riders will spice up the entertainment lineup this year as well, Saunders said. The family includes two parents and their 10 kids who perform rodeo trucks.

The Wenatchee Youth Circus will be back by popular demand, performing Friday through Sunday. Every summer the group travels throughout the Pacific Northwest with two 18-wheel semi trucks’ worth of equipment for acts including single trapeze, tumbling, trampoline and more.

“They were a huge hit last year, and they were definitely requested to come back,” Saunders said.

While each act adds variety to the fair, one regular staple that most families seem to enjoy is the animals brought in by 4-H, FFA and local community members to fill the fairgrounds barns, Saunders said. Animal lovers will also have the daily Predators of the Heart show to look forward to as well.

And thanks to a $100,000 grant received by the parks department, safety upgrades have been made to the fairgrounds, including replacement of all arena light poles, new barn gutters, barn upgrades, retaining walls and more.

The rodeo committee also gave part of the fairgrounds a bit of a facelift prior to the fair coming to town. Bathrooms have been re-faced, and Crazy Eric’s has been remodeled to look like an “old west building,” Saunders said.

“The Kitsap Parks staff and our volunteers work hard to make this event the best in West Sound,” she said. “That is why we are called The Big County Fair.”

For more information about the fair, email fairinfo@co.kitsap.wa.us or call 360-337-5376.