ALBUQUERQUE - The manager of the New Mexico State Fair says this year's fair celebrates what New Mexico has to offer.

"I think it's a showcase of New Mexico," Fred Peralta said on the eve of Friday's opening of the 2007 fair. "And that's what our job is, to showcase what New Mexico is all about, from our cultural differences to our agriculture. It's a place for families to visit and have fun."

The fair runs through Sept. 23.

The 2006 edition attracted 750,000 people. Officials hope new stages, rides and improvements will bring in at least 800,000 people this year, Peralta said.

The fair is offering free concerts, including national acts, with a lineup that features Blue Oyster Cult, War, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Rick Trevino, Cross Canadian Ragweed and Steve Holly. The acts will perform on a new stage at the food court, starting with Holly at 7 p.m. Sunday.

"We just felt we needed to do more to bring people in on the off-days," Peralta said. "We wanted to do something to increase the evening activities on the slow nights."

Old favorites, such as American Indian dances and a powwow, agricultural exhibits and animal shows, also are on tap this year.

But there will be new attractions, including Cirque Equinox, a European circus; Come Play with the NBA, an interactive event for basketball fans; and Pirates of the Sky, a high-wire act.

The midway features four new rides: Street Fighter, Shocker, Spinout and a Slingshot ride, Peralta said.

Peggy Durkin, the fair's attractions manager, said there also will be a duck race, led by Robert Duck of Los Lunas.

"I don't make this stuff up," she said. "I don't have to, it's the State Fair."

Durkin said many people miss attractions at the fair, such as 4-H exhibits and art galleries.

"The first time I walked in (to galleries), I was just blown away. I think some of the buildings are invisible to people," she said. "If you keep walking by a building, stop and go inside it and see the level of artistry that exists in this state. It's just magnificent."

The fair is open 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays through Sundays.

The entrance fee is $7 for adults, $4 for children 12 and under; and $5 for seniors over 60.

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Information from: The Albuquerque Tribune, http://www.abqtrib.com