MIDDLEBORO — At the East Middleboro 4-H Fair, you won’t find carnival rides or admission costs — but age-old fair amenities and passionate youth showing crafts and animals of every shape and size.

The annual fair is hosted by the East Middleboro 4-H club, one of the oldest 4-H clubs in the state. The event offers an “old country fair” atmosphere with classic fair eats, artisan booths — a country auction — and the many 4-H shows that see a bit of everything from baked goods and quilting, to giant rabbits and miniature horses.

“This is a family environment, and it's family-run. Even if we're not related by blood, we're related by green, " said longtime volunteer Erin Barry. “When everybody comes to the fair. It's like going to a family reunion.”

4-H programs put youth in a learning environment of a topic-based club — whether it’s arts and crafts or animal related — to complete a project or show an animal whilst gaining life-skills like public speaking and record keeping.

Brenda Easter, the club Treasurer and the Fair Committee Chair, said youth can gain a lot from being involved in the numerous types of clubs. Although her own children have aged out of the programs, her family still stays involved in the Middleboro 4-H community.

“You see it throughout the year, all of a sudden [youth] find their people, and then they start to just blossom. That's why we keep coming back. We like working with the kids, or else we wouldn't do it,” she said.

Brenda Easter said organizing the fair is always a group effort. The free-annual fair is run completely by volunteers, and profits from concessions goes to fund clubs, the fair and their clubhouse upkeep.

Her son, Ian Easter, 24, who “grew up” in 4-H programs and volunteers at the fair, said the event offers something more than the award ribbons youth earn for their competition entries.

“I feel like it's an important thing to our community, as well as just for the kids to have this kind of safe environment,” said Ian Easter. “It's more of a community-gathering kind of thing. It's not just a fair.”

Profits from the fair are also used for about $2,500 in scholarships the club awards to 4-H youth alumni as they age-out and pursue higher education.

On Saturday, clear weather offered a fair-day that saw hundreds of attendees at the club’s location at 183 Thompson St. in Middleboro.

Between the shows, attendees shopped at artisan booths, and enjoyed country-fair classics like fried-oreos and corn-on-the-cob. Attendees put money on the line in the “country-auction” where various kinds of household items were bid on by a large crowd.

Beth Smoller, a first-time attendee, said it was the first 4-H fair — and goat show — her son Jaxson, 8, has participated in. She said she wanted to get him involved in 4-H since it offers something different than school sports and other youth clubs.

“It’s about doing your best, but being supportive, helping each other out and learning from each other. The older kids really teach the younger kids. They take them under their wings,” Smoller said.

The fair will run through Sunday, Aug. 31, where even more shows and country-fair fun is scheduled. A horseshoe game tournament, a chili cook-off and both an animal costume and tractor parade will finish out the fair.

For Brenda Easter, she sees 4-H as a unique outlet for youth to find new friends and passions in.

“There's a lot of kids that don't always fit in,” she said. “I just find that the kids are so accepting. Everybody seems to fit-in. I always say ‘square pegs’ fit fine here. They all fit somewhere.”

A full list of the Sunday event schedule can be found on the East Middleboro 4-H Club website. To find out more information on how to get involved in a 4-H club, contact the Plymouth County 4-H and Extension offices.