Farm Fair

Mike Amoss has spent more than half his 19 years in 4-H. According to the 4-H charter, he will be too old for the club after this year. But he won't leave without showing one more pair of steers at the 21st annual Harford County Farm Fair, which opens Thursday at the Equestrian Center in Bel Air. "I grew into 4-H, and I grew up in it," he said. "It taught me responsibility and giving back." At a young age, he began showing what he had harvested from the family's Fallston farm. First there were home-grown vegetables, then the pigs he raised.

Amid the chaos and shrieks of hundreds of children who attended the 20th annual Harford County Farm Fair, there was one booth where all was quiet. Tucked away in a large tent on the Equestrian Center fairgrounds in Bel Air, teenagers stared intently and furrowed their brows, contemplating their next move in a game of chess. Robert Quinton, 15, came to the fair from Howard County and lost a game in less than five minutes. But it didn't faze him. "I wanted to see how they are and kind of test their skills," Robert said of his opponents.

Farm Fair The lowdown -- Starting today, all kinds of country animals will come to the Bel Air Equestrian Center for the annual Harford County Farm Fair. It features pig races, dairy and rabbit shows, tractor pulls and other farm-related events. If you go -- The fair is 10 a.m.-10 p.m. today through Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3-$7, free for kids younger than 5. The center is at 608 N. Tollgate Road in Bel Air. For more information, go to farmfair.org. Crab Days The lowdown -- Enjoy a weekend dedicated to the blue crab, at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum's 25th annual Crab Days Festival this Saturday and Sunday.

For the 30 years that Bill and Ginny Coats have lived in Bel Air, they said, they were too busy working and never made it to the Harford County Farm Fair. They came from their retirement home in North Carolina last week to attend the 19th annual event in their former hometown. "I want to see pigs, and I love the smell of hay," Ginny Coats said while wandering around the exhibit barn. "I never knew you could win a ribbon for a bale of hay." Exhibitors won ribbons for dried fruit, chocolate cake and a photo of a hummingbird at the farm fair, which runs through today at the Equestrian Center in Bel Air. The four-day event showcases the efforts of hundreds of 4-H members and highlights Harford County's agricultural tradition.

TODAY RESTAURANT WEEK -- Baltimore Restaurant Week will take place through Friday at more than 60 city restaurants. Participating restaurants will offer a three-course meal for $30 and many will offer a two-course lunch for $20. Some downtown garages will offer parking for $3 after 5 p.m. www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com or 877-BALTIMORE. TOMORROW NAVY ALUMNI CONCERT -- The U.S. Naval Academy Band will perform its annual alumni concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Annapolis City Dock. The program will include former band members.

Everything that the Equestrian Center in Bel Air needs to transform into the Harford County Farm Fair arrives early this week, well ahead of the opening of the 19th annual event Thursday. And as they have since 1988, Aimee O'Neill and her husband, Jim Torre, will be involved from the prayerful start until the last pig races. The 7 a.m. prayer breakfast starts four days of fair activities. "We have always started with nondenominational prayer," said O'Neill, who has helped organize and volunteered at all 19 fairs.

Barbara Hoddinott stood in the kitchen of her home in Street, slicing peaches into half-inch pieces. Practicing for the 19th annual Peach Pie Contest at the Harford County Farm Fair, she moved through the familiar series of steps: peel the skin, put the pieces in a bowl, add sugar, stir. One thing was not familiar: Her husband, Keith, stood nearby watching. Usually, he's in the contest too, so they must arrange separate kitchen times to keep their creations secret. But the rules say Keith must sit out the 2006 competition because he won last year, leaving him free to wander around the kitchen while Barbara gets serious.

Abingdon junction to close for 6 weeks The Harford County Construction Management Bureau plans to close the Abingdon Road/Box Hill South Parkway intersection on or about tomorrow for approximately six weeks. The closure is necessary for the construction of a roundabout. Detour signs will guide motorists through the work area. Information: 410-638-3561. County disaster drill set for Wednesday Harford County, with assistance from Cecil County and Aberdeen Proving Ground, will conduct a weapons of mass destruction exercise on Wednesday.

Conor Perkins was having the time of his life. After two years of rejection, Conor, 12, had been chosen to judge the Suewee pig races at the 18th annual Harford County Farm Fair. He joined thousands of people who turned out for Thursday's opening festivities. Attendance was high, and lines were backing up shortly after the gates opened. Parking lots were filled, and shuttle buses were running constantly to designated locations. Vendors and craftsmen showed their wares. Livestock was being cleaned and groomed in barns and taken outside to dry in the warm sun. People filed through the tents and gathered to watch the shows and events.

Harford County Farm Fair If you're even a little bit country, you'll want to visit this year's Harford County Farm Fair. It's the 18th year for the old-fashioned fair, which takes place today through Sunday at the Harford County Equestrian Center in Bel Air. Visitors can see 4-H and FFA exhibits, livestock judging, pig races, craft displays, tractor pulls and more. There will also be kids' games and activities, a watermelon-eating contest, pie-eating contest, fireworks, live music from country singers Billy Dean and Craig Morgan, tunes from local bands and musicians, a dog-agility contest, car show, bicycle rodeo and more.