HARRISBURG — Vincent Knoll was toting a bag of goodies as he trooped through the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg Saturday.

Goodies as in swag. Freebies. Giveaways.

The horn of plenty in these lean times may not be what it was 50 years ago, or even a few years ago, Knoll acknowledged.

But a little-recognized fact is that good bargain hunters can still hike — or graze — their way through the annual eye-popper in Harrisburg and score a sackful, or a bellyful, of free stuff.

Knoll had accumulated what he called “knickknacks” — a ruler and some ag brochures. His bag wasn’t exactly brimming. But then the day was young.

The 96th show — billed as the nation’s largest indoor agricultural exhibition — got under way Thursday with the unveiling of the centerpiece 1,000-pound butter sculpture depicting a young 4-H member with his prize calf. The event opened officially two days later and runs through 5 p.m. Saturday. The free show draws some 400,000 people and features more than 6,000 animals and 10,000 competitive exhibitions. Parking is $10.

But remember: All those ballpoints, state waterways maps, peacock feathers, fridge magnets and dashes of tangy mustard on pretzel sticks are still free.

State Department of Health staffers were handing out bottles of hand sanitizer. Timothy Haas, of the Pennsylvania Migrant Education Program, stood just across the way offering magnets, key chains and brightly colored hard candy for kids. And Sgt. Tyler Larsen, Pennsylvania Air National Guard Counterdrug Program, was stationed next door, handing out pencils and pens in between helping visitors test “fatal vision” goggles that mimic the view through a drunk driver’s eyes.

Pockets of complimentary eats and drinks could be found throughout the halls. Wine made from cranberries, for example. Hummus. Gourmet coffee.

And that’s only for starters. Over in Expo Hall, Lynn Kime, a volunteer for the Penn State Cooperative Extension, was smearing dabs of pear butter on saltine crackers.

“Just pears and sugar,” he said.