Twilla Brown helps create a birthday cake display to celebrate 100 years of 4-H in Kansas. Brown, a 4-H Food superintendent, was among those preparing Friday for the Douglas County Fair. See page 3B for fair schedule highlights.

The number 100 has special significance for this year’s Douglas County Fair.

First, this is the 100th year of 4-H in Kansas. Second, the fair comes as the Lawrence area will be flirting with 100-degree temperatures throughout next week, according to forecasts.

On Friday inside the main exhibit building, a platform of boxes was being transformed into a yellow “cake” to help celebrate the 4-H birthday. Among the cake decorations are 100 lights serving as the candles.

“It’s going to look like a regular birthday celebration cake,” said Twilla Brown, one of the 4-H food superintendents, as she worked on the cake.

Setup for the fair will continue today as preparations are made for 420 4-H members who will enter livestock, food, art, crafts and other projects in a variety of events and exhibits at the fairgrounds, 21st and Harper streets.

Today’s 4-H horse show begins at 9 a.m. in the community building arena. The open horse show for non-4-H members is Sunday, which also starts at 9 a.m.

Livestock will be brought in Tuesday.

“I’d like to not see it in the 100s on Tuesday,” said Margaret Kalb, the fair board’s executive secretary. “It can be a little hard on the animals getting them in here when it’s hot, but the 4-H kids are good about knowing how to take care of their animals.”

This year’s fair sees the return of Friday night’s always-popular Demolition Derby at the rodeo arena. A new class has been established for cars made in 1980 and later.

“The ’60s and ’70s cars are just getting hard to find, and they are expensive,” Kalb said.

The Demolition Derby starts at 7:30 p.m. Come early, Kalb said.

“Friday nights can be pretty hectic,” she said.

The derby usually draws about 40 vehicles and their drivers who bang into one another before a sellout crowd of about 4,000. Tickets are $10 and go on sale at noon Wednesday in the fair board office.

Back for a second year is the Hot Rod Tractor and Truck Pull, featuring the Missouri State Tractor Pullers Assn. Tickets for the Aug. 5 event are $10 for adults and $5 for children; they’ll be on sale all week in the fair office.

“Last year was our first year for that and it was quite a fun event,” Kalb said.

The carnival starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday. On Thursday night, bracelets can be purchased for $20 that will allow as many turns as you want on any ride from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Bracelets can be purchased for $15 for rides from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 5.

Fairgoers also can enjoy a variety of evening musical entertainment that will feature oldies group Cubby Lane & The Secrets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, country singing star Kelley Hunt at 8 p.m. Thursday, rock group Lawrence Letterday at 8 p.m. Friday and Joey Glenn at 7 p.m. Aug. 5. The free concerts will be performed at the bleachers and stage south of Building 21.

The fair will end with the 4-H livestock auction at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 6.