CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- More than 30,000 people are expected to head to Eleanor this week for the Putnam County Fair, which will be held at the Ernest Page Jr. Fairgrounds, off of W.Va. 62.

Saturday's opening marks the 32nd year for the fair. The event runs from Saturday to Saturday.

"My greatest satisfaction is to see all of these people enjoying themselves," said organizing committee president Wayne Bennett. "That's our motto."

Bennett said he is once again proud of his loyal volunteers who worked many hours to make this year's fair a possibility.

Aside from the carnival rides, live bands, and "miss" pageants, organizers expect the 4-H shows to be big crowd pleasers.

Boys and girls ages 9 to 21 will don clean button-up shirts and blue jeans to show their prized livestock. Beef cattle, lambs, hogs, dairy goats and meat rabbits will be shown and sold this week.

Most of the animals being shown will be sold for meat. The livestock auction for the cattle, lambs, hogs and rabbits that win their respective competitions will be held on July 16 at 7 p.m. Fair board member Christina Bush said the auction likely will be the most popular event at the fair.

Bush said the 4-H children keep a professional attitude when showing their animals, which at times are bigger than they are. Sometimes it hurts to give up an animal bound for slaughter, but the kids understand the process, she said.

"The kids know what is going to happen to their animals," she said. "They're upset about it, but they're mature."

Reach Zac Taylor at Zachary.Tay...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5189.