OXFORD – There will be maple sugar making and milking demonstrations at the Oxford County Fair this year, along with the traditional fry-pan throws, pig scrambles and even a moose calling contest.

But it’s the year-old harness racing track that is expected to draw the biggest crowds. Never mind midway rides and fried dough – thousands of people last year visited the fairgrounds for the races alone.

The “handle,” or amount bet during the four days of the fair, was $195,000, track supervisor Phil Jackson said Monday. An average of $49,000 in bets was taken each day.

While attendance numbers at the fair had declined steadily for years, more than 16,000 people showed up in 2003. The numbers were up by at least 4,000, Jackson said.

“The contribution of the race track was probably the greater portion of that increase,” he said. Jackson hopes the track will draw an additional 4,000 or so people to the fair this week after the four days of festivities kick off Wednesday.

Of course, anyone who doesn’t like horses will find plenty of other animals on the fairgrounds. Goats, sheep, cattle and rabbits are a few of the usual exhibits. This year there will be alpacas and llamas as well, said coordinator Jackie Young.

“Our local fair is not the farmer competing against the farmer anymore,” Young said.

She and fair director Faylene McKeen explained that few people today understand the livestock judging that has long been a fair tradition.

So, the pair said, this year there will more demonstrations on farm activities, from the grooming of sheep and the milking of cows to the making of maple syrup.

Roger Jackson, a brother of Phil Jackson, returned to sugaring nearly five years ago after his granddaughter asked how maple syrup was made. He’s come a long way in a short time – this year will be the first he’ll be on hand to give syrup-making demonstrations from “Jackson’s Sugar House” on the fair grounds. He’ll also have maple cotton candy and other maple products available for sale.

But the fair doesn’t stop with the demonstrations and sweet treats. There will be musical acts, craft shows and baking contests, as well as the He-Man competition and a dollar hunt in the hay.

This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Miss Oxford County Fair Pageant.

The fairground gates open at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.