One of the county's biggest summer events, the Kent County Show, opens its gates this week.

All creatures great and small come together from prize-winning poultry to dinosaurs and crowd-pleasing robots at the three-day show, which opens on Friday, July 7.

More than 300 different activities, displays and competitions are packed into a show which blends the county’s proud agricultural heritage with the latest in farming, produce and entertainment.

Traditional sights from the Kent Spitfire’s flypast, fairground rides, floral displays and brass bands blend with new attractions, including, for the first time, Dexter, a two-year-old baby Tyrannosaurus – a 4m-long life-like, part animatronic dinosaur.

Dexter will be bringing his handler, who will be on hand to keep the noisy dino in check and visitors will also be able to visit the Dinosaur Nursery, and see a newborn Tyrannosaurus, a baby Triceratops, and a baby Stegosaurus.

The Shetland Pony Grand National will feature young riders competing in the main Astor Ring on all three days with young jockeys riding their noble, but pint-sized, ponies for the chance to take part in the Shetland Pony Grand National at the Olympia Horse Show later in the year.

Free kids' activities and more for the family at the show

There will also be food and drink producers offering a taste of what the county has to offer and live music, from traditional brass bands to local singing groups, plus flowers and fruit.

Show manager Lucy Hegarty said: “Each year we try to organise a variety of displays and entertainment. Our job is to balance the more traditional displays alongside some new, unique and contemporary entertainment. This year we have tried to vary the entertainment highlights and give visitors something a little bit different.”

Always able to pull a crowd, Titan the robot will be entertaining the troops each day and there will also be the annual pole climbing championships and, new this year, a chance to follow the milk on your breakfast cereal all the way back to the udder, with the Vintage Dairy Display by Knowles’ Dairy, from Hereford farmer Roger Knowles.

The old fashioned dairy comes complete with Daisy the cow, who is milked with a milking machine and the milk is bottled, ready to go to the shops. It gives visitors the sense of how a working dairy used to be – even down to the sounds and smells.

This year will see the highest number of cattle and sheep entries for five years, with 422 sheep entries, 393 cattle entries and 82 goat entries, with even the number of fleeces in the wool competition being boosted by 10%.

DETAILS

The Kent County Show will be held on Friday, July 7, Saturday, July 8 and Sunday, July 9 at the Kent Showground in Detling, Maidstone from 8am to 6pm.

Tickets are £20.70 in advance and £23 on the gate, with a child ticket costing £6.30 in advance and £7 on the gate. A family ticket for two adults and two children between five and 15 costs £45 in advance or £50 on the gate. Under fives are free and parking is free.You can buy discounted tickets online until midnight on Thursday, July 6. For details go to kentshowground.co.uk or call 01622 633060.