Saturday's best bets
• Alaska State Fair Parade. Check out the floats and get a sneak peek at some of the fair performers as they wind their way through downtown Palmer, 11 a.m.
• Moose Calling Contest. Contestants show off their best moose impressions, grunting out their best cow and bull calls. Woodlot Stage, 2 p.m.
• Big & Rich. The country music duo takes the Borealis Stage with country-rapper Cowboy Troy and singer-songwriter Bradley Gaskin, 7 p.m., $40 (plus fair admission).
• Gymnastics. Experiencing gymnastics withdrawal since the Olympics ended? There's a full slate of gymnastic events happening at the Pebble Corral. Excel Gymnastics performs 4:30 p.m., Denali Gymnastics at 5:15 and 6:45 p.m. and the Denali Rhythmic Team performs 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
-- Matt Sullivan
11 a.m. -- Alaska State Fair Parade In Downtown Palmer
Borealis Theatre
7 p.m. -- Big and Rich with Cowboy Troy and Bradley Gaskin**
The Sluicebox
No minors after 6 p.m.
1:30 p.m. -- Nate May and His Country Jumpers
3 p.m. -- Kari and Billy
4:30 p.m. -- Brook Faulk Band
6:30 p.m. -- Rock-It Rangers
8:30 p.m. -- Tom Rigney and Flambeau
Jolly Roger Pub
2 p.m. -- Eric and Sean Braendel
3 p.m. -- Jubilee
4 p.m. -- Fish and Chips
5 p.m. -- Kari and Billy
6 p.m. -- Mike Olson
7 p.m. -- Carhartt Brothers
Borealis Plaza Tent
10-5 p.m. -- Greatland Chili Fiesta
9 p.m. -- Rodeo Dance with the Ken Peltier Band**
Woodlot Stage
2 p.m. -- Moose Calling Contest
4 p.m. -- Parent-Child Look-Alike Contest
7 p.m. -- Marrakesh Express
Woodlot
1, 3 and 6 p.m. -- Scheer's Lumberjack Show
Grandstand
6 p.m. -- Alaska Supercross**
Grandstand Lawn
1, 3 and 5 p.m. -- Pirates for Hire, live-action, pirate-themed entertainment troupe
Don Sheldon Events Center
10 a.m.-10 p.m. -- "Our Body: Live Healthy" educational exhibit displays real human specimens (Recommended for ages 12 and older.)
Colony Stage
10:30 a.m. -- Sunshine Generation of Eagle River
11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. -- Swingset Hooligans
Noon -- Acilquq Dancers
12:30 and 2:30 p.m. -- Sonja's Studio
1 p.m. -- Linda Sahara Middle Eastern Dancers
1:30 p.m. -- Alaska Moving Arts Center
2, 4 and 7 p.m. -- Powerhouse
3 p.m. -- Underground Dance Co.
3:30 p.m. -- Stars Dance and Drill
5 p.m. -- Midnight Sun Cloggers
5:30 p.m. -- Borealis Dancers
6 p.m. -- Paws and Taws Square Dance
8 p.m. -- Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band
10 p.m. -- Alaskanette Baton Corps
Bluebonnet Stage
12:30, 3 and 6:30 p.m. -- Paul Isaak, juggler
1 p.m. -- O Tallulah
2 p.m. -- Three Fish in a Tree
2:30 p.m. -- Hopper Family Band
3:30 p.m. -- Eric and Sean Braendel
4:30 p.m. -- Josh and Eve Anderson, Hot sibling harmonies
5:30 p.m. -- Carhartt Brothers
Pioneer Plaza
2, 4 and 6 p.m. -- Cirque De La Vie
Corral
11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. -- Okamoto's School of Karate
11:30 a.m. -- Eagle River Rage
11:45 p.m. -- a.m. -- Service High Cheer
Noon and 2:15 p.m. -- Wasilla High Cheer
12:15 and 2 p.m. -- Underground Dance Co.
1 and 2:30 p.m. -- Stars Dance and Drill
1:15 and 3 p.m. -- Palmer High Cheer
1:30 and 3:30 p.m. -- AK Pride Drill Team
1:45 p.m. -- and 3:15 p.m. -- MVD Dance Studio
2:45 p.m. -- and 3:45 p.m. -- Colony High JV and Varsity
4 and 6 p.m. -- Tae Kwan Do USA
4:30 p.m. -- Excel Gymnastics
5:15 and 6:45 p.m. -- Denali Gymnastics
5:30 and 7 p.m. -- Denali Rhythmic Tea5:45 and 7:15 Denali Dance and Cheer
Raven's People Tent
2 p.m. -- Acilquq Dancers
2:30 and 4 p.m. -- Bee Akee Curtis, Inupiaq storyteller
3:30 and 5:30 p.m. -- Hooper Bay Dancers
5 and 7 p.m. -- Lepquinm Gumilgit Gagoadim
6 p.m. -- World Eskimo-Indian Olympic Demo
Wineck Barn
11 a.m. -- Colony History Garden presentation by Machetanz Elementary students and teachers.
Noon and 5 p.m. -- "Alaska Far Away" documentary about New Deal pioneers
Noon-8 p.m. -- UAF "OneTree" Birch Art Exhibit
1:30 p.m. -- Garden tours guided by the fair's head gardener
2 p.m. -- "Where the River Matanuska Flows" documentary
Kid Zone
10 a.m.-8 p.m. -- Children's garden
1, 4 and 6 p.m. -- Woody's Menagerie, educational wildlife exhibit
Farm Exhibits
10 a.m.-4 p.m. -- Mat-Su Rabbit/Cavy Breeders Association Show
Noon-4 p.m. -- Swine, sheep and goat open showmanship and conformation
Noon-8 p.m. -- Fowl Weather Friends, hens and roosters in a barnyard setting.
Noon-8 p.m. -- Petting zoo
Noon-10 p.m. -- Crop, flower, livestock, rabbit and poultry exhibits
Milking Parlor in Farm Exhibits
1 and 3 p.m. -- Musk ox presentation by the Musk Ox Farm
2 p.m. -- Skunk demonstration
4 and 4:45 p.m. -- Goat milking demonstration
5 p.m. -- Cow milking demonstration
Hoskins Exhibits
11:30 a.m. -- Paint a Lady Bug Rock
12:30 p.m. -- Quick Sew a Potholder
1:30 p.m. -- Recycled Paper Beads
2:30 p.m. -- Recycling How and Why
3:30 p.m. -- Microwave Peanut Brittle
4 p.m. -- Kid's Crafts
Irwin Exhibits
Noon-10 p.m. -- Woodworking, quilting, fiber arts, hand and needlework demos
Noon-10 p.m. -- Quilt show, on the hour
Yellow Gate Lawn
1, 4 and 6 p.m. -- Equi-Mazing equestrian trick riders
France Equestrian Center
2 p.m. -- Alaska State Fair Rodeo**
Around the Grounds
11:30 a.m., 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. -- Flight Crew, UAA student team pursuing higher education
1, 3, 5 and 7:30 p.m. -- King BMX Stunt Show