It’s late summer, which means it’s Maryland State Fair season.

The annual fair held in Baltimore County is returning for its 143rd installment, featuring carnival rides, animal shows — think alpacas and goats — and agricultural education.

This year, the storied fair is scheduled for three weekends: Aug. 22-25, Aug. 29-Sept. 2 and Sept. 5-8. Gates open at 5 p.m. on Thursdays and 9 a.m. every other day.

Here’s what you should know before you go (and what you might want to check out):

Where is it held?

The Maryland State Fairgrounds are located in Timonium at 2200 York Road. Parking at the fairgrounds is $15 per vehicle and is first-come, first-served. Free parking is also available at the Kaiser Permanente parking garage on Greenspring Drive.

Visitors can skip the parking hurdles by arriving via MTA light rail or bus. More details are available on the fair website.

What do tickets cost?

Tickets are a little cheaper if you buy them in advance online. Adults pay $12, while seniors 62 and over pay $10. Tickets for children between the ages of 6 and 11 cost $7.

If you wait to buy tickets at the gates, they’re $15 each for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for children ages 6 through 11.

Kids 5 and under can enter for free.

Just remember to budget for carnival rides, which are individually priced, as well as food and other souvenirs. Deal hunters can find an assortment of discounts tied to fair sponsors on the event website.

And there’s a new policy this year where all minors must be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older after 6 p.m.

What can I expect?

Oh, so much. The fair has a seemingly endless variety of family-friendly entertainment. Carnival rides are the most eye-catching when you enter, but visitors can also explore the various buildings where agricultural demonstrations and competitions take place.

Be sure to check the schedule for each day before arriving, since activities vary daily.

Fast Action Motorsports, where participants won’t just watch the action but be part of it, for example, is only on the second weekend. Ornamental blacksmith and mobile glass blowing are also only featured on one weekend.

Other activities will be around all days and weekends, including the Swifty Swine Racing Pigs. There will also be showmanship contests and animal shows featuring alpacas, horses, ponies, goats and sheep.

For the final weekend of the fair, there will be a “Live Band Experience Celebrating Taylor Swift” on Sept. 7. Visitors can bring their own blankets and chairs.

Oh, and there’s a dog show on Sept. 7, as well as a Big Time Rush concert.