GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Young and old will be able to play in the dirt on Oct. 4-5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Clay County Fairgrounds as part of the H&H Tree Demo’s Hard Hat Games and Vallencourt Construction Co.’s Dig and Dirt.

The Games is a competition for construction teams, while Dig and Dirt is an opportunity for children to get an up-close look, ride and climb on heavy-duty equipment.

General admission on Saturday, Oct. 4, is $10, and tickets are $5 on Sunday. Children three and younger will be admitted for free, and the first 250 children on each day will receive a free hard hat and vest. Tickets are available at clayevents.org/p/tickets.

Construction teams can compete for a professional wrestling-like belt by competing in events like barrel racing, pole weaving, and a trailer backing course, as well as stack and dash, barrel stacking, nail challenge, ring toss, lunchbox challenge, Coke bottle opener, egg relay, and construction obstacle course. Registration is $500 a team, and the deadline is Sept. 26.

Dig and Dirt has many options for children, like the creation of a 3D construction chalk art, a balloon artist on stilts, Noisemakers Construction Show, Construction Worker J’s Magical Show, Coney Island Chris Construction Show's Big and Play dirt pile presented by HCA Orange Park, bounce houses, a dumpster dive foam pit, build projects by Home Depot and an immersive photobooth by Coastal Equipment.

Children also can operate mini excavators and feel like real construction workers, driving UTVs through a specialty designed course by Holeshot Powersports.

Rides aboard a scissor and boom lift will be available, as well as the opportunity to climb and explore real construction equipment.

Children younger than four can’t operate equipment, but they can have their pictures taken on them, while children between four and eight must sit on their parents’ lap to be photographed on the equipment.

Children nine and older can operate construction equipment on their own.