AFTON – Unlike country music star Toby Keith, the 118th Afton Fair can be as good as it once was, organizers say.

The “little hometown” fair, which had fallen on hard times in recent years, opens at 4 p.m. today and runs until Sunday night. New fair board volunteer Dennis Fletcher says they’ve worked hard to breath life back into the event.

“We’re a new board and we want to try something new every year,” Fletcher said. “This year we’ve tried to touch on something for everybody.”

The board re-emphasized the importance of community, President Jeanette Grover said. For starters, this year all grandstand shows are free – including Thursday’s performance by former American Idol contestant and country music up-and-comer Bucky Covington – with the price of admission. The youth dairy and livestock shows were also reinstated after having been absent the two previous fairs. Grover said the main changes have come from the ground up.

“We’re rebuilding faith in the community because we would like to see the fair return to its ‘glory days’ as a country fair – that’s our goal,” Grover said. “With the new board we have, they are all dedicated to seeing the fair succeed, so there have been many hours of painting, cleaning, building and repairing the Park. It is a hands on thing.”