North Stonington — The annual North Stonington Agricultural Fair, which will begin its 51st year on Thursday, will feature for the first time two days of truck pulling.

Because interest in the pulls has grown so sharply over the past few years, fair President Mike Riley said Saturday's competition is reserved for trucks that run with gas, while Sunday's is for those that use diesel.

"Over the years, the most popular activity could be anything — everything's got a fad," said Riley, who's been at the helm for about 17 years. "It all depends on the crowd and how it goes."

Despite the changing trends, the four-day fair still will feature staples such as animal pulls and shows, the Fair Queen Pageant, carnival rides, hay bale tosses and more.

Country music artist Billy Gilman, who sang the National Anthem during the fair's opening ceremony in 2010, will return, too. But this year he'll take the stage at 8 p.m. on Friday for a full performance.

Gilman, raised in Hope Valley, R.I., also performed at the fair when he was 8 or 9 — years before his single "One Voice" topped charts in 2000.

"I hope he brings a big crowd," Riley said with a laugh.

On a more serious note, Riley said the bigger the crowd, the more repairs and improvements those who run the fair can make. Already, they've fixed roofs and built a cattle barn.

Right now, he said, the goal is to expand the venue so it can handle bigger trucks.

Riley's main hope for those who visit?

"I hope a lot of them will learn about agriculture," he said, rattling off the different animal-related activities that will be set up at the fair. "All animals are here for a purpose."

Riley knows there are other such fairs throughout the state, but he said what sets North Stonington's apart is how family oriented it is. And not just in the small town, everybody-knows-everyone-else kind of way, either: even the vendors "get treated like family."

"Some of the vendors help out with getting things ready," Riley said. "That's how much they like it."

More information is at www.northstoningtonfair.org

l.boyle@theday.com

Twitter: @LindsayABoyle