Maryland State Fair

The sign, handwritten on a torn piece of a grocery bag early yesterday, was attached to the side of the pen where a pink-and-black sow lay on her side in obvious discomfort. "Hi. My name is Spot!!" it read. "I should be having piglets sometime soon!" Soon must have a different meaning for pigs. She lay there for hours as people came and went, spending a lot of time watching her expectantly. More and more fairgoers found this small corner of the Cow Palace at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium, tucked between the display of Christmas trees and the exhibit where for 50 cents people could try their hand at milking a cow. She was the prime attraction yesterday at the fair's Animal Birthing Center, where crowds have been known to wait and wait and wait to catch a glimpse of pigs and cows delivering their young.

For more than 42 years, Howard "Max" Mosner has worked for the Maryland State Fair, earning leadership and volunteer awards from groups such as 4-H and the Red Cross, as well as citations from the state government. He recently added another award when the International Association of Fairs and Expositions inducted him into its Hall of Fame. For the 65-year-old Manchester resident, it was recognition of his work as president and general manager of the State Fair in Timonium. The honor accentuates Mosner's remarkable accomplishments, said Jim Tucker, president and chief executive officer of the Springfield, Mo.-based association.

Anna Troyer became involved in the Maryland State Fair more than 40 years ago when she was a young farm girl, winning ribbons in 4-H competitions for hand-sewn clothing and preserved food items -- practical things actually destined for use on her family's 100-acre spread in northern Baltimore County."

This year's Maryland State Fair has become the go-to event of the summer with just two words: Justin Bieber. The teen pop music sensation will perform at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium on Sept. 5, as part of the new tour dates recently added to his "Justin Bieber My World 2.0" tour. Also scheduled to perform at this year's fair are country music star Gretchen Wilson on Aug. 27 and former Poison frontman Bret Michaels on Sept. 1. All concerts start at 7 p.m., and tickets go on sale June 12. The fair runs Aug. 27 to Sept.

Watching from the bleachers, an eight-second bull ride seems to go in slow motion. It could last a minute in your mind, maybe more. Perched atop a writhing monster, it's more like two days, said bull rider Ben Arneson. It's hard for him to explain exactly how it feels. "It's almost indescribable," said Arneson, who will ride Monday in the Maryland State Fair's first rodeo. "To be able to master that much power for eight seconds makes you feel unstoppable when you do it right." Monday, Arneson will ride bulls raised by his friend Sonny Williams.

What do swimming pigs and pregnant cows have in common with conservative talk show host Sean Hannity? Possibly not that much - but all will be on hand at this year's Maryland State Fair. This year's schedule promises a clutch of quirky and surprising events - most tied to agriculture but others rooted in popular culture. "In the traditional fair, you think about games and rides and food," said Andy Cashman, a fair organizer. "I think people come and expect to see some neat and different ideas."

The best seat at the Maryland State Fair costs $3.75 for two minutes.Amber Howard believes it's worth every penny."I can see everyone, and everyone can see me," says the 11-year-old Harford County girl perched atop the Giant Wheel, with the midway and pavilions spread out 100 feet below.The fair, kicking off its 116th year, is an end-of-summer ritual, a final family outing where country is cool and the basic food groups include funnel cakes, lemonade and sausage with peppers and onions.If the weather continues to be like yesterday's, about a half-million people are expected during the 10-day run at the Timonium fairgrounds.

You're at the state fair gates at the crack of dawn Sunday, you get your armband at 8, and now you've got nine-plus hours to while away until you and 11,999 of your new best friends get in to see Justin Bieber (or until your daughter's ready to come home). Here are five things not to miss while counting down the minutes until Hurricane Justin hits Timonium. Midway rides There's a brand new roller coaster, the Riptide, and old favorites like the bumper cars (regrettably uncomfortable for anyone over 6 feet)

There is a lot of talk these days that Americans are worried about our diets, eating smaller portions, counting calories. Maybe so, but not when at the Maryland State Fair. The state fair is a time for indulgence. In the waning days of summer, it is an opportunity to take one last bite of the season, and in most cases, that bite is a big one. On Friday, the first day of the fair, I scampered through the admission gates, and faster than you can say "now frying," I was visiting a corn dog stand on the midway.

The Maryland State Fair opened in Timonium yesterday with all of the jaw-dropping excess of a 2-ton elephant in a pink polka-dot bikini. The smooth-talking Kitchen Craft salesman was there, showing off his cookware, as were the 4-H'ers with their freshly scrubbed cows, pigs and sheep. Homemade strawberry preserves, hand-knit sweaters and a mammoth pumpkin shared the spotlight with midway offerings such as the Cliffhanger, the Superslide and Whac-A-Mole. And the air was filled with the distinctive perfumes of funnel cakes, cotton candy and fries.