Fun. Exciting. Scary. Exhilarating.

That's how a group of girls described one of the many rides at the 14th annual Cumming Country Fair & Festival.

The fair, which runs through Oct. 12, opened Thursday with free admission. The girls were among the many who showed up for the fun.

The ride in question is called Alpine Bobs. Pop music thumps through speakers as the seats rock side to side, sometimes at a 90-degree angle.

It travels, not quite at breakneck speed, along a hilly track, first forward then backward.

"That was awesome!" one of the girls shrieked after the ride slowed to a halt.

The sweet scent of cotton candy wafted through the cool, fall afternoon air. Vendors called to passers-by to fool a weight-guesser or try their hands at a variety of games like basketball and skeeball.

Fairgoers can also write their names on a grain of rice or have their faces painted.

George and Kathy Nalley sat on a bench on the midway contemplating what they'd have for dinner.

"We eat out every Thursday night and because the fair was free we decided to eat at the fair," said

Kathy Nalley, adding that she had her eye on sausage and fried potato ribbons.

Vendors also offered up pizza, nachos, elephant ears, funnel cakes, homestyle ice cream, lemonade, turkey legs and roasted corn.

Mary Pugh runs a pizza stand at the fair. She said it's the first time she's brought her food to Cumming.

"I like it so far, of course it's just starting," she said. "It's nice fairgrounds. We're excited because we just left Marietta [site of the North Georgia State Fair] and that was a nice fair."

G.G. and Papa Schildts brought their twin grandchildren, 7-year-old Cole and Madison Martin.

"I love it, I think it's really cool," G.G. Schildts said of the fair. "I've lived a lot of places all over the United States and this is classy. It's just nice and clean and has good food."

Jodi Avery brought her 3- and 4-year-old daughters.

"My kids just love it," she said. "And it's an excuse to eat yucky food."