North Stonington — A small crowd gathered around 5 p.m. Thursday as 9-year-old Reese Main — not nervous in the least — belted out the national anthem to mark the official opening of the 51st North Stonington Agricultural Fair.

But in less than two hours, despite the clouds that loomed most of Thursday, the fairgrounds were crowded: Stands filled with viewers of various tractor pulls, lines formed at stands selling root beer floats and chicken sandwiches, children looked up in wonder at the Ferris wheel, asking if they could go on it next.

Every craft, product, contest, game, animal and piece of food one might associate with a fair brought out men, women, boys and girls — from Westerly to Voluntown to Michigan — of all ages.

"It's a tradition, now," several fairgoers said, as though they came one year and got hooked.

Many also planned to watch the ever-popular pageants: fair queen on Thursday, fair princess and junior princess on Friday.

Typically, about 20 girls, age 5 to 18, enter into the three contests, said Samantha Storey, chairwoman of the North Stonington fair pageants and 1983 fair queen.

At the queen level, contestants participate in a 10- or 15-minute interview the day before, introducing themselves and answering two random questions in front of the public at the fair.

"I always say, 'This is not a beauty contest,'" Storey said, explaining that queens must be, among other things, articulate and willing to serve their communities. "The judges are trying to choose a young lady that represents a wholesome attitude toward the fair and the agricultural community."

Reigning fair queen and North Stonington resident Rachel Luce, who also won the junior princess pageant but never received the princess title, said she entered the queen pageant last year on a whim.

"I've had an amazing year," the 18-year-old said, donning the queen's tiara and sash. "I did a private photo shoot and all the stuff that goes along with it — it's been a lot of fun."

She said she was happy to be able to pass her crown on to Thursday night's winner.

"Little girls have been coming up and asking me if I'm a real princess," Luce said with a laugh. "I'm glad other girls will get to experience what I got to experience."

The fair features musical acts and karaoke through Sunday, too, with country music artist Billy Gilman, a Hope Valley, R.I., native, returning to the stage for the first time since he was about 8.

Back then, decked out in a cowboy getup, Gilman sang Patsy Cline and Martina McBride songs karaoke-style, said Peggy Sue Long, who handles the fair's entertainment and advertising.

"My mom and I paid (him for) his very first paid show ever," Long said. "But it was not until I saw him at the fair that I was like, 'Wow, this kid's going to do something.'"

Now 27, Gilman, laughing as he recalled the oversized cowboy hat he wore at that first paid concert, said he never spent the $100 bill they gave him — he had it framed.

On Friday at 8 p.m., with a live band, he'll perform a combination of old hits such as "One Voice" and "Oklahoma" — reworked in a new key — and new ones such as "Say You Will." The video for "Say You Will" was filmed in New London.

"I'm really excited to come full circle ... and to bring my new voice and my new mentality of what my music is," Gilman said of his upcoming performance, noting that he has never performed the old Billboard country music-charting singles in North Stonington before.

"I'm a firm believer of 'You should never forget where you come from,'" he said.

l.boyle@theday.com

Twitter: @LindsayABoyle