FAYETTEVILLE — It’s been a very mild summer for Northwest Arkansas, but some of the hottest temperatures of the year are on tap just in time for the Washington County Fair.

“Temperatures will be above normal over the next several days,” said Peter Snyder, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tulsa, Okla. “This is some of the warmest weather we’ve seen this summer; it’s been much cooler than normal.”

The average high temperature for the last week of August in Fayetteville is 87 degrees, according to Weatherspark, but forecasters are predicting highs in the mid to upper 90s through the weekend. That means exhibitors and those working at the fair will be looking for ways to keep themselves and their animals cool.

Peaches, the pig, sat contentedly under misters in her pen, sucking water from a bottle held by Tracy Adams of Elkins.

Water buckets aren’t allowed in the pig pens, and pigs don’t have sweat glands, Adams said. She was doing her best to keep Peaches, shown by her son, Scott, pampered as the afternoon temperature climbed past 90.

“We’ve got misters, and that helps a lot but it’s been mild,” Adams said. “You’ve got to have misters and a fan because they don’t sweat like other animals.”

The fair association installed fans in most of the livestock buildings, misters in the cattle barn and misting coolers in the livestock arena two years ago, Johnny Gunsaulis, Washington County Extension Agent, said Wednesday.

“It’s not as bad with the goats and bovine as it is with the rabbits; they’re out in the heat anyway,” said Sue Abshier, grandmother of Lexi and Luke Peoples of Prairie Grove. “Most of the goats are range goats.”

Rabbits only dissipate heat through their ears so exhibitors Kim Robinson and her twin boys, Dawson and River, of Winslow have a few tricks to pull out of their hats, including frozen 2-liter bottles of water they put in the hutches.

“It’s like a big toy, but it helps keep them cool. They’ll lay by them or on top of them,” Kim Robinson said. “We’ve got a fridge full of ice bottles and an extra fan, so we feel pretty good about it.”

The Robinsons also don’t feed their rabbits in the middle of the day because it makes them warmer, she said.

In the poultry building, Amanda Bromley and her daughter, Cadi Cox, of Farmington said they stick with fans.

Bromley said she showed chickens as a junior and now helps her daughter show.

“You have to keep fans on them during the heat of the day to keep the air circulating,” Bromley said. “Misters, in the heat, can actually cause problems. You can steam them if you’re not careful.”

Some of the more exotic critters at the fair this year include camels, baboons, blue monkeys, spider monkeys, lemurs, a porcupine and a couple of tortoises, all from Wild Wilderness Safari in Gentry. The weather doesn’t seem to bother them as much as traditional livestock and poultry, particularly the camels, said Fred Wilmoth.

“Whether it’s 100 degrees or snow, they’ll come in and eat then go out and lay in the sun or snow,” Wilmoth said.

In one of the food stalls, Scherron Love with Farmington Parent Teacher and Student Association was hoping to catch an elusive cool breeze but remained philosophical about the heat.

“We grew up without air conditioning and always hauled hay,” Love said. “We haven’t had much of a summer so we can’t complain. I don’t think we’ve had a triple digit day.”

Gunsaulis said most of the exhibitors and animals are used to the heat.

“I guess it’s going to be close to 100 degrees by the weekend,” Gunsaulis said. “It’s either going to be hot here or hot at home; it’s not much difference.”