The Bangor State Fair opens today and fair officials have prepared with increased safety for the rides.

Everyone has a favorite part of the fair. For me, it's the food. I can't resist getting a dough boy with cinnamon and sugar, or a bowl of greasy fries sprayed with vinegar. The agricultural section is also a favorite, so I can often be found strolling through the cow barns or petting the goats.

For a lot of folks, the rides are the big attraction, and the bigger and scarier, the better! They want to be flipped upside down, turned sideways, and then gently returned to Earth. And the directors of the Bangor Fair and Fiesta Shows want to assure them that the rides are safe, especially after the scary accident at the Ohio State Fair that left an 18-year-old dead and several other people injured.

WABI-TV reports the State Fire Marshal's Office has inspected all the rides, and there will be daily inspections by qualified technicians to make sure everything is in top condition. That's standard procedure for Fiesta Shows, but they're beefing up their security this year, as an added precaution.

The 'Freak-Out' at the Bangor State Fair is made by the same company that built the ride in Ohio, but it is a different design and model.

For a complete schedule of this year's Fair events, log onto the Bangor State Fair website. 

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