JACKSON COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) -- A week with temperatures in the 90s is descending on Kentuckiana as one of the biggest fairs in the area gets underway.

The Jackson County Fair comes with food and fun as always, but oppressive heat will be added to the mix this year.

While rain beat the heat as Monday's main issue for fairgoers, the heat will be back in full force this week. It's something that has fair officials and emergency medical workers on standby to keep people safe and cool.

"We're only here once a year and so they are going to come and want to enjoy the fun," said Mike Evans.

For Evans, the Jackson County Fair means big sales for his shaved ice stand, especially in the last week of July. But later this week, temperatures are expected to reach the upper 90s — the hottest of the year so far.

"I will probably sell a snow cone to 90% of the people that's here if it gets that hot," he said.

More than 100,000 people attend the six-day fair each year, one of the largest in the state. With so many people and temperatures soaring, paramedics are getting ready.

"We are fully staffed," said paramedic Shelly Acton. "We have four people here at all times so that if two people leave, we always keep two people here."

Most of the emergency calls at the fair are from heat exhaustion, and an ambulance is never far away. A cooling area is also available, along with water and popsicles for those who need it.

More than 20 buildings are covered for fairgoers to get out of the sun. Some of the older structures recently had new fans and vents installed.

"We just make sure we have availability for everybody," Arann Banks, Jackson County Fair Board member, said. "Most of our vendors have water they give away with a lot of free water, cheap water, on our fairway. We keep an eye on everybody."

Many of those vendors already had their own fans set up on Monday.

"We allow people to bring whatever it takes to cool themselves off," Banks said. "We don't have any type of, we don't stop them at the door."

Rides on golf carts will also be given to those who need special assistance getting from their cars to the entrance of the fair. 

Even with the "feels like" temperature expected to be 100 degrees or higher, fair officials said it surprisingly doesn't keep people from coming out.

"I think it will be just fine," said Evans. "I think we will still have the people."

The Jackson County Fair runs July 23-29 at the Jackson County Fairgrounds on East County Road 100 South in Brownstown, Indiana.

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