Nothing says "spring" in Baltimore quite like the Johns Hopkins Spring Fair, arriving this week on the Homewood campus for the 31st time.

The entirely student-run festival is one of the largest of its kind, typically drawing 100,000 visitors during its three-day run.

The fair opens at noon on Friday, April 26, so it's not too soon to start thinking about a well-balanced lunch: cotton candy, cheesesteak and deep-fried Oreos, perhaps?

There'll be carnival rides and extreme games, photography and karaoke contests, a fashion show, a beer garden, live music on two stages and crafts booths filled with jewelry, clothing, collectibles and more. On Sunday, an antique-car show rolls into place.

Children's entertainment includes Monkey Man, Ray Owen, the Hopkins Tae Kwon Do Club and student a cappella groups; a literacy program featuring the Phantom Tollbooth, a reading corner, interactive workshops and arts and crafts.

Special events include Casino Night and a concert by the hip-hop group the Roots. Casino Night, for Hopkins students only, runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday night in Levering's Glass Pavilion. The Roots perform on Saturday at the Ralph S. O'Conner Recreation Center, where the doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 for Hopkins students with J-Card, $15 for the general public through Ticketmaster; for ticket details, go to www.jhuspringfair.com.

Festival hours are noon to 6 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission and parking are free. A shuttle bus will loop to Homewood from the parking lot at the Johns Hopkins at Eastern campus. For more information, call 410-516-7692.