On Saturday, Jan. 9, the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show kicks off with an opening ceremony featuring a live Large Arena show of agriculture's past, present, plus a glimpse of the future.

Director Sharon Altland promises it'll be an extraordinary walk down memory lane with history walls filled with personal stories photos and displays of how agriculture evolved since 1917.

Themed as a "Blue Ribbon Experience", Farm Show features "the best of our diverse agriculture industry," says Ag Secretary Russell Redding. "It also weaves our collective experiences together, and helps visitors make the connection between their daily lives and the industry."

HIGH HORSE POWER: This undated photo of an early Farm Show entry shows the origin of "high horsepower".

Tabbed as the nation's largest indoor "state fair", it draws close to 10,000 competitive entries, everything from alpacas, to plentiful PA Preferred foods, to rodeos, to antique tractors. That count includes 6,000 animals – no poultry though, due to heightened avian influenza risks. Alpaca competition is new this year.

Key highlights
Here's a brief peek at some – not all – new attractions during the nine-day event:

* 100 Years of Agriculture: This one-time event is set for 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 12 in the Equine Arena. It'll feature innovations, progress and productivity as agriculture shifted from horses to steam engines to tractors, and from plows to GPS technology.

* Farm-to-shelf exhibit: This feature exhibit, hosted by Weis Markets, replaces the popular "Today's Agriculture". It portrays the journey of four commodities – apples, pork, dairy and potatoes – from the farm to the grocery store shelf.

* History walls:  Displays throughout the complex will depict the evolution of agriculture and the show. It'll include personal photos and stories and include an iconic barn display.

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* Ag Explorers: Youths and whole families are invited to explore 32 learning stations that blend ag education, history and careers. Interactive hands-on learning stations have been expanded to 32. "It's not for just youth," says Atland. "We're looking at 2,000 participants this year."

* Mushroom House: This first-of-its-kind walk-through mushroom-growing exhibit highlights the growing process from raw materials to compost, from spawn to the actual finished product.

* Bigger Food Court: This year's Farm Show centerpiece will have expanded seating plus lots of new items including blended mushroom burgers, carrot funnel cakes, goat meat tacos and ribs, a BBQ beef bowls, chocolate-covered bacon, fish sliders, fresh-baked oversized cookies, and more.

Admission is free. Parking costs $15 per vehicle with free shuttle service from off-site lots.

The following list is of key livestock events. For a complete event listing, visit: www.farmshow.state.pa.us.

Friday, Jan. 8
8 a.m.   Open Beef Cattle
9 a.m.   Beef: Texas Longhorn
10 a.m. Swine: All breeds
3 p.m.   Draft Horses
6 p.m.   Supreme Champion Draft Horse

Saturday, Jan. 9
8:15 a.m.          Supreme Champion Swine
9 a.m.   Swine Sale
Draft Horse Cart
           Pa. High School Rodeo
4 p.m.   Jr. Market Goat
5 p.m.   Pa. High School Rodeo
6 p.m.   Garden Tractor Pull
9 p.m.   Grand Champion Junior Market Goat

Sunday, Jan. 10
8 a.m.   Jr. Beef Breeding Cattle
Jr. Market Lambs
10:30 a.m.        Draft Horse Hitch
2 p.m.   Jr. Market Steer Show
           Grand Champion Jr. Market Lamb
5 p.m.   Grand Champion Market Steer

Monday, Jan. 11
8 a.m.   Open Beef Cattle
Jr. Market Swine
3:30 p.m.          Grand Champion Jr. Market Swine
4:30 p.m.          Supreme Champion Beef
6 p.m.   Mini Horse Pull

Tuesday, Jan. 12
8 a.m.   Alpaca Show
9 a.m.   Championship Pony Pull
9:30 a.m.          Sale of Champions
10:30 a.m.        Jr. Livestock Sale (in order: steers, lambs, goats, swine)
11:30 a.m.        100 years of agriculture display
3 p.m.   Championship Horse Pull

Wednesday, Jan. 13
8 a.m.   Antique tractor display
2 p.m.   Carriage Racing
3 p.m.   Sheep to Shawl Contest
4 p.m.   Antique tractor pull
6:30 p.m.          Sheep to Shawl Auction

Thursday, Jan. 14
8 a.m.   Jr. Dairy Goat
           Jr. Breeding Sheep
8:30 a.m.          Draft Horse Pleasure
Noon    Jr. Breeding Sheep Supreme Champion
5 p.m.   Jr. Meat Breeding Goat
7 p.m.   Circuit Finals Rodeo
8 p.m.   Jr. Meat Breeding Goat Supreme Champion

Friday, Jan. 15
8 a.m.   Sheep: All wool breeds
           Sheep: Cheviot, Montadale, Tunis
Dairy Cattle: Ayrshire, Guernsey, Red & White
Open Dairy Goats
9:30 a.m.          Dairy Cattle: Milking Shorthorn
10 a.m. Dairy Cattle: Holstein
11 a.m. Dairy Cattle: Jersey, Brown Swiss
11:30 a.m.        Supreme Champion Wool
2 p.m.   Supreme Champion Dairy Cattle
3 p.m.   Jr. Breeding Sheep
5:30 p.m.          Best Doe of Show
6 p.m.   Angora Palooza contest and auction
7 p.m.   Circuit Finals Rodeo

Saturday, Jan. 16
8 a.m.   Sheep, followed by Supreme Champion Meat Sheep
Open Boer Goats
9:30 a.m.          Farm Class Horse Pulling
5 p.m.   Circuit Finals Rodeo