Music, magic, daredevils and pigs

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

Booths, vendors and food carts lined the walkways and filled one large indoor space, but the flashier attractions included a wide lineup of performers and activities strewn around the fairgrounds.

Pig races were held around 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 through the track by young volunteers.

Two main stages, the Ocean Stage and the Inlet Stage, featured a rotating cast of performers. These were largely representatives of Alaska, though there was some national talent. These included a magic performance, a violin, plenty of guitars and a performance by Yale’s a capella 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, assembled 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 animated movements.

In a back corner of the fairgrounds, a large metal globe was set up for performances by the Fearless Flores Family, a family of daredevils who ride dirtbikes around inside it. Most of the action featured the three kids, who range from 8 to 19 years old, while their father acted as host and entertained the crowd on a microphone.

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

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