A collection of fun: The Dumbo ride spun at just the right speed.

Boulder County’s diverse landscape begins at an elevation of 5,000 feet in the agricultural High Plains and rises to an elevation of over 14,000 feet on the Continental Divide. It is home to 326,000 residents and covers 700 square miles and includes the cities and towns of Boulder, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland and Jamestown. Each summer, the Boulder County Fair draws thousands of people from within and outside of the city to celebrate the people, beauty and diversity of the county.

This year, the fair will be held between July 30 and August 11 at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont. It’s a fun gathering place for people to enjoy livestock and animal displays (including cats and dogs), sample fairground food and listen to music. Bullfighters – not to be confused with rodeo clowns – test their agility in the arena against Mexican and American bulls who would love nothing more than to trample them with their horns and drag them into the dirt. The ever-popular Demolition Derby always draws a full crowd.

The big slide.

The fairground at the Boulder County Fair is spectacular. Games that involve throwing rings or balls can win a stuffed animal or other coveted prize. For the little ones, there is an elaborately decorated and festively lit carousel. Tame rides that spin fast enough to excite them, but low enough not to scare them, delighted the riders. A few slides and a Ferris wheel provided joyful entertainment for the children.

Older children were often braver than adults on the big rides. Intimidating names like Hurricane, Kamikaze and Alien Abduction warned of the thrills to come that awaited even the most intrepid. One ride called Pirate had fairgoers board a ship that rocked back and forth on a semi-circular track. Half the passengers faced one way and half the opposite so everyone could experience the full effect. The imposing fireball was as tall as the Ferris wheel. It sent passengers around in a vertical loop until they were upside down at the apex. The process was then repeated in reverse, accompanied by another round of screaming.

Eating, gambling, and experiencing the heights of a hurricane or the courage of a bullfighter – the Boulder County Fair offered visitors the full spectrum of entertainment.

Served for all: Come in and try your luck.

Only for the brave, the orbiter was not of this world.

Seat belts kept fidgety children on board.