Tuesday, July 26, 2022, marked the opening day of the Clinton County Fair's 74th anniversary.The fair has the most vendors it has ever had this year, with 31 food vendors and 42 other types of merchants.There was a one-year hiatus during the summer of 2020. During the summer of 2021, the fair organizers did not know until May that they were going to be able to host the perennial summer fair, which, according Fair Manager Wanda Carroll, is shorter notice than usual.This year, organizers say they are happy to be back to normal.“They’ve had people stop and tell me 'I met my girlfriends here 30 years ago, and we’ve been married 30 years,'' Carrol said. "And that’s what it’s about, bringing the community together, and just having a good time and making memories.” Thera-Pets was one very popular stop amongst fair goers on Tuesday."This is what the fair is all about, kids getting to do things with animals that they can't normally do anywhere else,” stand operator Ken Besaw said.Thera-pets is a local business based out of Peasleeville, New York, where on the farm these miniature donkeys provide therapeutic support for children, the elderly and veterans."They get to come in, they get to pet them, touch them hold them, I have what I call the fair shot where they can bend down and put their arms around their necks, their parents take their picture,” Besaw said.Ken Besaw’s station is one of the 42 vendors at this year's fair.As people walk past the station, they’ll come across other local retailers, like food vendor Mr. Sausage of Vermont, whose stand has been serving hungry fairgoers for the past 32 years.“This fair is the best one we do, we like it better than most,” operator Stanley Gumienny said.The rides at the fairgrounds started running around 5 p.m. Tuesday evening — weather conditions put a delay on their opening.In the meantime, families with their kids found enjoyment in playing some carnival games. One popular game was the dart-throwing station.Next year will mark the fair’s 75th anniversary. The fair manager says the staff is already thinking of ways to make the fair bigger and better for the year 2023.The fairgrounds are expecting around 10,000 people to show up between Tuesday and Sunday.