As with every year, the National Anthem marked the beginning of a week filled with family-friendly fun at the Jefferson City Jaycees Fair.
Kicking off the evening, roughly 30 tots ages 2-5 participated in the Little Mr. and Little Miss pageant.
For some, it was their first time in the spotlight; for others, this was an opportunity for them to really strut their stuff.
During the pageant, some of the contestants highlighted their favorite hobbies like playing with Legos, friends and being involved in various extracurricular activities.
Three-year-old Jayce Lampee was not too shy to give his best attempt at singing the classic "You Are So Beautiful."
Parents and family members cheered all of the contestants as they braved the stage and answered questions.
Five-year-old Desiree Evers was one of the most talkative contestants and was accompanied by her therapy dog, Paula Mary.
Evers told the judges she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grows up.
Jacyce Lampee and Brynlee Asel took home the crown as the 2017 Cole County Little Mr. and Miss in the 2- to 3-year-old category, while Eli Michels and Carys Wieberg, both 4, took home the crown for the 4- to 5-year-old category.
Vickie Wieberg, Carys' mom, said despite this being Carys' first pageant, her daughter was really dedicated to practicing and not being too shy on stage. Her costume was a reflection of the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
Even at age 4, the audience could tell Wieberg was accustomed to the glamour of being on stage.
"I'm so proud of her," Wieberg said. "We wanted her costume to be classy while sticking with this year's theme, 'Goin' Old School,' and it turned out to be perfect."
This was Michels' second year competing and his parents, Joshua and Rebecca, said he was excited to come back.
"It takes a lot to get in front of people and talk," Joshua said. "I'm really proud of him, he did a great job."
Rebecca added: "I think events like this builds their confidence and introduces them to speaking in front of people. It's definitely a skill they could take with them in the future."
Shortly after the pageant, motocross fans headed for the stands to watch the bikers do their best stunts.
"The best part of the motocross race is watching the big jumps," said Tyler Swehla, one of many motocross spectators.
His friends, Chase Niekang and Thomas Johnson, agreed. Niekang also cautioned seeing someone get hurt is never fun.
Asked what was their favorite part of the fair, most attendees listed the rides, the food and concerts as top attractions. The headliner artists for the evening were country singer Mitch Rossell and vocalist Scott Duncan.
Throughout the week, a collaboration of law enforcement teams will rotate to help remind people attending the fair this week was truly about enjoying themselves.
Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler said there are teams of officers from his department, the local police department, Lincoln University and fire protection districts as well as volunteer groups.
"It's nice for the public to see the Cole County Sheriff's Department walking around, and we want to be as visible as possible," Wheeler said. "We want to make this a family event and for people to have fun, but we don't want them to act stupid either."