Fair's fairly bursting with new options.

Byline: Carolyn Lamberson The Register-Guard

Simon and Garfunkel may have believed that "it's all happening at the zoo," but next week it'll be more like "it's all happening at the fair."

This year's edition of the Lane County Fair (theme: "Gotta Be There!') kicks off on Tuesday for a six-day run of bunnies, carnival rides, live music, food, art and agricultural exhibits.

Modern rockers Hoobastank will usher in the festivities at the main stage on Tuesday night, while Tracy Byrd will wrap things up musically on Saturday, Aug. 20. In between, Lane County fans will be entertained by John Michael Montgomery (Wednesday), Diamond Rio (Thursday) and David Lee Roth (Friday).

Tickets to these shows are not included with fair admission, nor is fair admission automatically included with concert tickets. Tickets, which range in price from $22.50 to $7.50, are available at all local TicketsWest outlets or at the ice center at the fairgrounds.

Country acts traditionally do well in Lane County and are a natural fit for the fair, said Jane Holloway, a marketing mana- ger with the fair. But the fair organizers always are on the lookout to mix things up.

Thus we have Hoobastank, to draw in the 15- to 25-year-old rock fans, and Roth, to draw in those rock fans who are, um, slightly older.

"What we are looking for is coming up with a diverse lineup," Holloway said.

That diversity extends to the smaller stages as well, Holloway said. And with the addition of a new stage this year, the West Garden Stage, folks will have even more musical choices. (Shows on these stages are free with fair admission.)

"The Caribbean Breeze Stage (added two years ago) proved to be so popular that we decided to add a new stage at the west end of the fairgrounds," said Carrie Matsushita, the other marketing mana- ger.

The West Garden Stage will feature `a lot of blues,' Matsushita said, but also country and classic rock. It will cap off its debut season with a performance on Aug. 21 from Deb Cleveland and the Vipers.

For those folks who don't want to sit still at the fair, perhaps entertainment will find them. New this year is a series of roving entertainers.

The Dragon Knight Stilt Walkers, with their ornate costumes, are sure to draw attention to themselves. Russ Peak, a hypnotist, and comedy juggler Paul Isaak will bring their acts to a variety of fair stages.

Fair organizers estimate that between 24,000 and 32,000 people a day will pour through the various gates at the fair; there's a good chance that there will be something on site to catch everyone's eye.

New this year is the Northwest Challenge Dock Dogs Big Air Competition, in which dogs compete to see who can run and jump off a dock the farthest. The nationally sanctioned event already has a full slate of competitors on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 20 and 21.

On Friday, Aug. 19, local canines who love to leap into the water will have a chance to show off their skills. The dogs - well, their owners, actually - are encouraged to preregister for the event. Forms are available online at the fair's Web site, www .atthefair.com, or the business office.

For NASCAR fans, the fair will present the opportunity to get up close to Kasey Kahane's No. 9 Dodge race car, in addition to the No. 2 Havoline car driven by Jamie McMurray and the No. 38 Great Clips car of Tyler Walker and Kahane.

These cars and others will be on display Sunday, Aug. 21, as part of Speedfest. The first 200 children to Speedfest will receive a free Hot Wheels car.

Speaking of cars, the fair will let toddlers do the driving this year. The new Toddler Driving School is designed for children ages 1 to 5, and it teaches basic traffic safety. The school also gives the youngsters who are too little to ride the attractions in Kiddie Land something fun to do.

It is located near Wheeler Pavilion, while the lawn in front of the Events Center will be home to the Activity Zone, which also features a Toddler Zone for the wee ones.

For youngsters slightly older, ages 7 to 14, the Family Fun Park is the place to be Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. That's when the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will present a Bassmaster/ESPN casting contest.

Winners, those who cast for distance and accuracy, will go on to compete at the state level.

The Museum Courtyard will play host to a series of Living History Demonstrations on Thursday through Aug. 21. Re-enactors in period dress will demonstrate a number of skills, including flint-knapping, wool-spinning and tin-smithing.

On Wednesday at the courtyard, a Red Hat Society "royal" gathering is planned at 1 p.m., preceded at 11 a.m. by a free ice cream and pie social for seniors.

Other fair highlights:

Artisans Studio, featuring daily demonstrations by local artists, in the Gleason Atrium.

The Oregon Authors Table, featuring 30 Oregon writers, in the glass courtyard between the two largest exhibit halls.

Ice skating demonstrations, 1 p.m. on Wednesday and Aug. 19, featuring local skaters.

More than 2,000 exhibits (a record, fair organizers report), not including all the cows, sheep, chickens, bunnies, goats and other farm critters.

Reach Carolyn Lamberson at 338-2341 or clamberson@ guardnet.com.

EVENT PREVIEW

Lane County Fair

When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday; kids park 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily

Where: Lane Events Center, 796 W. 13th Ave.

Tickets: General admission is $8 for adults, $6 for ages 6 to 15 and free for children 5 and younger; season tickets are $12, good for all six days, and are available at local Bi-Mart stores

CAPTION(S):

Hoobastank opens the fair on Tuesday with a rare evening of contemporary rock. In another departure, the California band will have an opening act, From Satellite, and the music will start at 6:45 p.m. rather than the traditional 7:30 p.m.