FARMINGTON – A steady stream of people passed through the gates Sunday to tour historical and agricultural exhibits, check out the animals, ride rides and play games during opening day of the Farmington Fair.

The sun’s rays beamed down from behind the line of puffy, white clouds that drifted overhead.

Smells of different foods from the blooming, fried onions to the sweet, juicy sausages permeated the air on the fall-like day.

The fair runs through Saturday with Agricultural Education Day today, Senior Citizen Day on Tuesday and ride specials today and Wednesday.

Near one of the livestock barns, Autumn Clair, 9, of Chesterville walked her Jersey heifer calf, Cloe.

Autumn raised Cloe, her 4-H project.

“There is quite a lot of work to do,” Autumn said. “You have to go up to the farm to clean it. You have to walk it a lot, so it’s remembering everything. If you work with her enough, she learns what you teach her and what she teaches herself, and what I do wrong she sometimes fixes.”

As Autumn talked, Matt Greenwood and his son, Rilley, 4, of Auburn stopped to pet Cloe. Rilley hesitantly reached out to rub the animal’s fur just like his dad was doing but quickly brought his hand back to his side before the Greenwoods and Autumn moved on.

Over on the amusement rides, Megan Grant of Stockton Springs laughed as the balloon ride slowly wound down.

“It was fun,” the 8-year-old girl said before walking off to find another ride with her grandmother.

“I think it’s been a good day today,” said Glenda Barker, a director of the Franklin County Agricultural Society.

Barker leaned against a railing on a landing outside the Exhibition Hall. She oversees the hall and the contest entries and earlier Sunday had been tending the ticket window.

“We’ve had a busy day today with all the judges,” Barker said. “Everybody’s getting set up.”

The weather was good, not too hot, she said.

“I hope the TV was right this morning good weather all week,” the Chesterville woman said.