There will be new things happening this year at the Elkhart County Fair, when it comes to inner ground entertainment. Monica Gould, inner ground entertainment coordinator for the fair, stated there will be more entertainment than ever this year.

While not all the entertainment contracts are signed, there will be over 73 free shows, not including the grandstand shows, on the fair grounds between July 24 and Aug. 1.

A new concept, with more coming according to Gould, is during the first few days of the fair, all chairs in the park stage area will be cleared out and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. July 24-25 for a dinner in the park atmosphere. There will be places for families to sit for dinner with live entertainment such as The Noteables, mime, balloon artist, and Tyler Hostetler, a local magician.

XPogo will be held on the basketball courts, also the first two days. This group of pogo artist will do stunts getting them up to 9 feet in the air. They will present three shows a day and were featured on America’s Got Talent.

For nine-days, three shows daily, individuals and families can visit the Family Entertainment area to see the Wild World of Animals. It is a blend of animal diversity with environmental messages with laughter, an opinionated pig, a 13-foot 100 pound python, and many other arthropods, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Learn animal facts, laugh at their antics and witness their natural abilities.

Unable to attend last year due to equipment failure, the Live Stingray Encounter will be set up at the Jayco Family Fun Center . The encounter will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. throughout the fair, where individuals can participate int he interactive exhibit. Visitors can view and touch the stingrays with staff on duty to answer questions about sea life.

Related: 9/11 ‘Never Forget’ Exhibit To Be At Elkhart County Fair