The 2015 Four State Ag Expo kicks off Thursday, and officials coordinating the annual event hope a sea of vendors and new programming will break attendance records.

Radiance Beals, executive director of the expo, says looking at the number of participating vendors alone, the counts are up from 2014.

"We have 100-plus this year which is definitely up from last year," said Beals. "I still have people signing up for booths. ... I hear most that businesses value the new contacts - they have business throughout the year that started out as expo contacts."

Last year's expo was the first that was pared down to three days instead of four, to give vendors a weekend day to recuperate. As a result, expo coordinators had to shift some programming around, and events like the beef show were hard to fit in.

With the kinks works out, old favorites and new exhibits were added, and Beals hopes attendees have a great time as a result.

Beals also notes that based on the feedback year, she and other board members expect attendance to be up. New events include an extreme trail-riding challenge, as well as the return of the beef show on Saturday.

"Saturday is going to be a big, busy day," she said.

"We heard last year that people like it. It puts a lot of stuff in three days," she said. The weather forecast shows a possibility for showers on Thursday with sun for the rest of the weekend, but Beals says the expo is going on rain or shine.

"Weather is never really a factor for us, we're ag people, so you work whether it rains or shines," she said with a laugh.

The 2015 Ag Expo runs Thursday, March 19 to Saturday, March 21 at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.

For a full schedule of events, visit the Four States Ag Expo website, fourstatesagexpo.com/daily-schedule.