PERRIS - "Revving up" with a Monster Truck Madness show and closing with a demolition derby smash-up, this year's Southern California Fair lineup includes eye-catching events from turkey races and elephant rides to a synthetic ice skating rink and a superhero.

The fair will run Saturday through Oct. 14 at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds, 18700 Lake Perris Drive.

Last year's event drew 150,000 people, officials said, and they expect crowds of the same size or larger this year.

Fried food and spinning rides such as The Scrambler are some of the traditional attractions visitors can expect at this year's extreme-sports-themed fair, but officials say there are also some new and notable headliners.

Spider-Man will be on site daily for autographs and photographs with fans at the Adventure Fun House - a meeting hall that will be transformed into an attraction for kids. The Fun House will hold daily shows and interactive exhibits aimed at drawing kids "away from their video games," fair spokeswoman Karen Searle said.

An outdoor synthetic ice rink is another attraction available for the first time in the event's history. The rink uses an ice-like material that is suitable for all temperatures and regular ice skates - available to rent for $5 - and isn't cold, Searle said.

"But it will still hurt if you fall," she added.

The fair's four-night concert series kicks off Oct. 9 with the popular 'tweener group, The Jonas Brothers, continues with parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic and country performer Tracy Byrd, and closes with the Christian band Kutless. General seating for all shows is free with fair admission and reserved seats are available for $15.

In keeping with tradition, livestock shows, exhibits - including arts and crafts, jams and an ugly cake contest - and 30 carnival rides will be part of the festivities. Professional bull riding and elephant rides will also return this year, officials said.

An exhibit official recommended that attendees check out the "look-alike" scarecrows of Gene Simmons of Kiss, complete with outstretched tongue, and Michael Jackson on display in the exhibit hall.

In the food arena, the deep-fried candy bar that has gained fairground notoriety over the last several years will be for sale, but reptile dishes such as deep-fried rattlesnake and alligator that have debuted at some other Southern California fairs in recent years won't be on the menu, Searle said.

On the smaller stage, a hypnotist will demonstrate on audience volunteers and a 5-year-old 10th generation daredevil will make his Perris debut on the "Globe of Death." In this performance, the "Fearless Flores Circus Thrill Show," a husband-and-wife team who ride motorcycles around the interior of a steel round cage, will be joined this year by their son, who began riding last year. They will perform three shows each day.

In a nod to the roots of the county fair experience, Heritage Village, modeled to resemble Main Street USA in the late 1800s, will host axe-throwing shows and blacksmithing demonstrations, and display antique tractors and a replica school house, Searle said.

The fair was originally established in 1925 in Riverside, but was relocated to Hemet after the Great Depression. In 1987, the event moved to its current 108-acre site in Perris. Since the move, the fair has become one of the area's largest annual events, but officials say it still retains an "intimate feel."

"It's the kind of place where people come year after year and run into friends," Searle said.

General admission to the fair is $8 on weekends and $7 on weekdays. Tickets for children ages 6-12 are $3, and kids 5 and younger are admitted free. Entrance and unlimited carnival rides are available for $15 on Oct. 11. Parking is available for $5. More information is available at www.socalfair.com.

- Contact staff writer Darryn Bennett at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 5420, or dmbennett@californian.com.