MONROE - Fair-goers asked, and they shall receive this year at the Green County Fair.

For the past two years, the fair didn't have a headlining country act. But this year, the fair is returning a country music headliner to the grandstand.

"People requested a big-name entertainer, as we've had in the past," said Green County Fair board of directors member Steve Mayer.

The fair will feature country singer/songwriter Craig Campbell at

7 p.m. Friday in the grandstand. Campbell's hits include "Family Man, "Keep Them Kisses Coming' and the recently-released "Tomorrow Tonight." Tickets cost $10, in addition to the general gate admission.

The Zac Matthews Band, a regional country music favorite, will open for Campbell. "They have quite a following," Mayer said. The band will also perform in the beer tent after Campbell's performance.

A feature new to the fair this year is lawnmower races. Mayer said these are no ordinary lawnmowers; rather, they are racing lawn tractors that compete as part of the Wisconsin Lawnmower Racing Association. Lawnmower races are popular in central and northern Wisconsin but relatively new to the southern part of the state, he said.

The fair board decided to bring the races to Green County and members are hopeful they will be a hit. Given how well the races were received at the Sauk County Fair last week, Mayer said, he thinks the races will go over well here. The event will be the featured free grandstand entertainment Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m.

The fair is also bringing back some old favorites: The Three Hills Rodeo will put on the free 7 p.m. grandstand show Wednesday, and the Badger State Tractor Pull will be featured Thursday. The tractor pull starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $5 in addition to the fair admission.

Another perennial fan favorite, the demolition derby, will close out the fair in the grandstand at 4 p.m. Sunday. The derby costs $10 in addition to the gate admission.

"The demo derby and tractor pull and rodeo - they've really grown over the years," Mayer said. "There's a demand for them."

Other entertainment includes the national tug-of-war competition at 10 a.m. Saturday. The event, which attracts teams from all over the country, will be going on for several hours on the track's infield, "probably until mid-afternoon," Mayer said.

Early Sunday morning, antique tractors will take center stage in a special pull. The free event begins at 8 a.m.

Another event that proved popular last year was the auction of Zoli's woodcarvings. Local woodcarver Zoli and his chainsaw will be at the fair, and some of his carvings will be auctioned in the Hospitality Tent on Saturday between the 4-H and FFA Fur and Feather auction at 10 a.m. and the 4-H and FFA Livestock auction at 12:30 p.m. Mayer said proceeds go to the fair.

In response to comments from the public, the fair board found a different company to run the carnival midway this year. Fair-goers in previous years said they would like more rides. "These guys said they put as many rides as they have room for," Mayer said.

While the fair is later than normal this year, Mayer said it's just "they way the calendar fell." The state fair is also later this year, and the fair board looked at that event as well as fairs in surrounding counties. "We don't want to compete with them," he said.

The fair board is hoping

to entice as many people as possible to visit the fair,

but Mayer said ultimately,

the biggest factor in attendance is not under the board's control.

"We're most dependent on the weather," he said. "Last year was spectacular. The weather was perfect. No rain, low to mid 70s."

Is a repeat too much to ask? Early weather predictions show the Green County Fair's luck might hold again this year: The forecast calls for sunny skies and highs right near the 80-degree mark through Saturday.