You don’t need to be an expert to attend the Farm, Home and Wildlife Expo at the Chilton Research and Extension Center. But by attending, you could gain a lot of useful knowledge — and have fun in the process.

Considering the wide variety of activities, demonstrations and tours, it would be pretty hard to not find something you enjoy.

The Eighth Annual Expo will be held Saturday, Aug. 7 at the center from noon until about 5 p.m. The center is located on County Road 29 near Thorsby.

“It’s a unique combination of fun learning activities for farmers, homeowners and hobbyists,” said Area Horticulturalist Bobby Boozer. “It draws hundreds of folks each year.”

Although this year’s Expo will be the eighth annual, Boozer said the event grew out of a tradition that is much older. The center, which is part of the Alabama Agriculture Experiment Station and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System of Auburn University, has hosted educational events throughout the decades.

“Field days have been a history of the facility since 1948,” Boozer said.

Food tasting has always been popular at the Expo. At the fruit tasting booth, you can try dozens of varieties of peaches, apples, figs, tomatoes and more. You can also taste fresh desserts at the Chilton County Master Gardeners’ booth and try samples at the blackened catfish cooking demonstration. This year, a milk goat demonstration will offer goat cheese tasting.

Other booths will cover topics such as lawn care, irrigation, rainwater harvesting, fire ant control, peach tree pruning, home blueberry production, safe shotgun practices and much more. And there will be plenty of games and attractions for the kids, including an old-fashioned hand water pump and a “peach float.”

A local Boy Scout troop will cook hamburgers and hotdogs throughout the afternoon as part of a fundraiser.

Admission and parking are free. For more information and a more complete list of scheduled activities, call 646-3610 or visit www.aaes.auburn.edu/researchcenters/chilton and click the link at the bottom of the page.