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The 71st annual Kenai Peninsula Fair was in full swing Friday at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik.

Booths, vendors and food carts lined the walkways and filled one large indoor space, but the more eye-catching attractions included a wide array of performers and activities scattered around the fairgrounds.

Pig races were held about every other hour, allowing fans to place bets on pigs released into a small looping track. The less directionally inclined of these pigs would be chased around the track by young volunteers.

Two main stages, the Ocean Stage and the Inlet Stage, featured a rotating cast of performers. These were mostly representatives of Alaska, although there was some national talent. These included a magic show, violin, lots of guitars and a performance by Yale’s a cappella group, the Whiffenpoofs.

One standout was Silas Jones, a 16-year-old from Homer who played both original songs and arrangements entirely on one acoustic guitar — slapping it, scratching it and otherwise producing sounds to emulate a larger soundscape.

A crowd, including the members of the Whiffenpoofs, gathered around the Inlet Stage for the duration of his performance, laughing and clapping along as Jones worked through technical difficulties and entertained the crowd through his theatrics and lively movements.

In a back corner of the fairgrounds, a large metal globe has been set up for performances by the Fearless Flores Family, a family of daredevils who ride dirt bikes around inside it. Most of the action featured the three children, who range from 8 to 19 years of age, while their father served as host and entertained the crowd with a microphone.

At the end of the night, a rodeo was held featuring horse and bull riders from around the state for barrel racing and a contest called Beauty and the Beast.

The Kenai Peninsula Fair will continue Saturday and Sunday, with more pig races, more displays by the Fearless Flores Family, and more musical performances. A concert will be held with Home Free at 7 p.m. saturday night

Pigs race out of the starting gate at the Kenai Peninsula Fair pig races on August 12, 2022, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Mike Morgan sings and plays guitar on the Inlet Stage at the Kenai Peninsula Fair on August 12, 2022, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

An ax is thrown at the Kenai Peninsula Fair on August 12, 2022, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Fischer Klodt dodges the swing of a goblin sword at the Kenai Peninsula Fair on Aug. 12, 2022, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

A challenger attempts the rugged challenge at the Kenai Peninsula Fair on Aug. 12, 2022, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Ziana Flores of the Fearless Flores Family rides in the “Globe of Death” at the Kenai Peninsula Fair on August 12, 2022 in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Pigs race at the Kenai Peninsula Fair on August 12, 2022, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

The head of a dance troupe leads both dancers and bystanders in a flash mob-style performance at the Kenai Peninsula Fair on Aug. 12, 2022, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Homer junior Silas Jones performs on the Inlet Stage at the Kenai Peninsula Fair on August 12, 2022, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Rachel Ababio performs a solo during a performance by the Whiffenpoofs at the Kenai Peninsula Fair on Aug. 12, 2022, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

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