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DIGHTON - The mums are blooming and the leaves are changing color - and that means it's time for the Annual Fall Show at Bristol County Agricultural High School.

The popular agriculture show takes place next weekend, Oct. 16-18, and the whole campus will be involved. Admission and parking for the show are free.

Students are busy creating floral displays, agricultural/diesel mechanic displays, landscaping plots and grooming animals to get ready for the show. All of the students take part and can compete in more than 50 categories, from floral arrangements to horse showmanship.

Most people come to see the hundreds of floral arrangements that will be on display in the school auditorium, but the show offers other interesting exhibits, says Director of Admissions Barbara Mello.

"People are going to like to see the animals, landscaping plots, horse shows, floraculture displays and the new ballfield," said Mello. The new baseball field, completed last month, was constructed almost entirely by volunteers, students and local area contractors and businesses that donated labor and supplies. New England Sports Turf Management Associations completed the final phase of the project and landscaping students are maintaining it.

Visitors can enjoy a cow show at noon on Friday and a horse show at noon Saturday put on by the large animal science majors, and also take a look at the new horse stable at the indoor arena.

Natural Resource students are changing some displays in the museum, which is open for tours. A touch tank will be in the basement with interesting marine creatures for children and families to enjoy.

The shore bird display will be extended and include a variety of both simple and elaborately sculptured replicas used as decoys. Arboriculture students will also be doing tree-climbing demonstrations during the show.

Laura Calverley covers Rehoboth for The Sun Chronicle. She can be reached at lcalverley@aol.com.