Those seeking some old-fashioned fun this weekend need only look a little south of Lawrence to the Vinland Fairgrounds.

The 96-year-old Vinland Fair begins Thursday. Since the fair’s founding, said organizer Mary Ginsler, not much has changed.

“It’s more like a big picnic because there are no commercial exhibits at all,” she said. “We provide our own entertainment.”

Exhibits will include pies and cakes, arts and crafts, floral arrangements, agricultural displays and 4-H projects.

Friday is the day for what Ginsler calls the fair’s most popular event, the antique tractor pull. More than 100 tractors, all made before 1958, from throughout the Midwest will compete to see which can still muster the greatest pull. The event begins at 7 p.m.

Some features of this year’s fair have changed, most notably the pet parade. The parade was founded by Fred and Bernice Gottstein, who ran the event for 30 years. Both died within the past year, and Nancy Helm, parade superintendent, said this year’s parade would include a special celebration of its founders.

Mike Yoder, chief photographer for the Journal-World, is putting together a collage of parade pictures he has taken over the years. A special award for participants who show exceptional sportsmanship and showmanship will be named after the pair. Helm also said she was working on a few surprises for the celebration.

The parade — set for 11 a.m. Saturday — will include two new categories: best decorated stuffed animal and best decorated doll. Helm said these categories encouraged children to come up with original costume ideas.

“It shows creativity on the children’s part,” she said. “There are some really creative kids out there and they come up with some great ideas.”

The late Bernice and Fred Gottstein, pictured at right at the Vinland Fair in this file photo from August 2001, will be remembered with a special celebration at the fair, which begins Thursday. Forty years ago the Gottsteins introduced a pet parade at the Vinland Fair and remained in charge of the event for more than 30 years. The 96th annual fair runs through Saturday with the pet parade Saturday morning.

Area groups will provide fairgoers with homemade food each day. The Vinland Parent-Teacher Organization will serve Mexican food Thursday and the Vinland Fair Board, with the help of volunteers, will serve a chicken and noodle dinner Friday and a beef brisket dinner Saturday. Homemade fruit pies will be offered daily.

This is the season for many area county fairs. The Leavenworth County Fair gets under way Aug. 12 in Tonganoxie and will continue through Aug. 16. The Jefferson County Fair began Monday in Valley Falls and concludes Thursday.