The 28th annual Butte-Lawrence County Fair starts Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the fairgrounds in Nisland.

Activities include exhibits in 4-H, open class, FFA, style show, livestock judging, tractor pull, horseshoe pitching, team roping, livestock sale, free watermelon Wednesday at 2 p.m. and bingo Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Admission to the fair is free every day. There is also a free barbecue sponsored and served by Butte Electric Cooperative and West River Cooperative Telephone Co. on Thursday evening from 5 p.m. to 6:30 pm.

Special events this year include "Down Home America" sponsored by the South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service on Tuesday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Pavilion. This is a hands-on gardening activity designed to offer parents and youths solutions to save money from farm to table.

Also, Operation Military Kids is sponsoring Camo Camp on Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will go through an obstacle course, decode a message, make a craft and talk to a military member about his or her experience.

For more information, call Extension educator Deb Rombough at 642-6200.