• The sun sets as Kern County Fair attendees begin to feel the heat of the day diminish.
  • Ricky Salinas, 19, plants a kiss on the cheek of Michelle Ben-hur, 18, from Bakersfield, ride the Scramble at the Kern County Fair on opening day. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Three pigs battle for first place around the first corner of the Alaskan Pig Races event at the Kern County Fair on opening day. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • These cows from Tjaarda Dairy are ready to give birth at any moment according to owner Perry Tjaarda, 65. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • The sun peaks through onto the grill as a cook prepares pounds of meat for fair attendees on opening day at the Chillin and Grillin food booth at the Kern Count Fair. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Onlookers watch as fair attendess are spun and flipped while riding Crazy Train at the 2022 Kern County Fair on opeing day. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Joe Woodman, is carving a small wooden bear with chainsaw on opening day. All the way from Florida, this is Woodmans first time performing at the Kern County Fair. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Small carved wooden figures on display at the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show at the Kern County Fair on opening day. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Ethan Gibbs, 12, is shaving Kala the goat for the first time ahead of the showmanship show. Kala is a dairy goat and for the showmanship show she will be judged on how clean and kept she is. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Mark wilder, juggleing while riding a giraffe unicycle on opening day. Wilder has been riding unicycle for over 20 years and this is his sixth year at the Kern County Fair. Wilder works the fair circuit and was last at Tulare County Fair. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Juan Casillas, 3, enjoys a boat ride while experiencing his first time at the Kern County Fair. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Curly fries and corn dogs on display on opening day at the Kern County Fair. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Bacon wrapped hot dogs, sausages and grilled vegetable await purchase on the grill at the Chillin and Grilling booth at the Kern County Fair. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Chicken kabobs on the grill at the Chillin and Grilling booth at the Kern County Fair. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • On the indside of Invasion fair attendees are feeling the g-forces while being spun around and around on opening day at the Kern County Fair. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • A long exposure of the Ferris wheel in the carnival ride section of the Kern County Fair as attendees finish off the night on opening day. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Pianist Brady Goss performs at the in the plaza at the Kern County Fair on opening day. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Riders are spun forward and backward on the Hawaiian Express on opening day at the Kern County Fair. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Kern County Fair programs just inside the gates. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • A long exposure of the Ferris wheel in the carnival ride section of the Kern County Fair on opening day. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Connor Crawford, 4, and Gage Lucero, 7, wait to get through the security checkpoint to start enjoying the Kern County Fair on opening day. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Two fair attendees take to the photo booth for a couple of moment capturing photos. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)
  • Fair attendees have a photo oppurtunity to take their photos with big letters this year. (Mason Rockfellow/KGET)

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The 2022 Kern County Fair opened on Wednesday returning with a full lineup of events, activities and vendors.

Fair organizers are hoping for big crowds to head to the Fairgrounds as there is a higher presence of security and law enforcement and there are no COVID-19 restrictions at this year’s fair.

Of course, those who did attend saw all that makes the Kern County Fair special: the food and attractions.

And, yes. The pig races.

The fair returns this year in full after a year of pandemic closure in 2020 and one year of a limited form of the fair in 2021.

17 News will have coverage of the fair this week.