SANDPOINT — Emergencies happen all the time.

Wildfires, floods and power outages. Are you prepared?

Perhaps you want to live a more self-sufficient life and aren't sure where to begin.

Sponsored by Bonner County Emergency Management, this weekend's Panhandle Preparedness Expo has answers for it all. The fair will be held Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5.

The cost for the fair, which will be held in the main exhibit hall, is $5 for one day or $9 for both days. A $1 discount will be offered for those bringing a non-perishable food item for the Bonner Community Food Bank. Children 12 and under will be admitted at no charge.

"The expo's mission is to educate the community about emergency preparedness, self-sufficiency and community resilience in the event of disasters such as wildfires, flooding, power outages and chemical emergencies," said organizer Penny Cosner.

Now in its 10th year, the preparedness event has grown from a one-day event in September 2015 to a two-day expansive event filling the first weekend in October.

Each year, the two-day event features guest speakers, classes and demonstrations as well as a host of vendors providing information and supplies to help the community be better prepared, Cosner said.

Speakers will cover a wide variety of subjects including radio communications, go bags, herbal medicine, solar energy, fire prevention and homesteading. Scheduled demonstrations include everything from first aid, blacksmithing, self-defense and map reading.

Cosner said roughly two dozen vendors will be on hand with a variety of products and services from freeze dried food, go bags and medical supplies to preparedness books, essential oils and more. In addition, food vendors will be at the expo to offer breakfast and lunch for sale on both days.

Speakers this year are Kody Hanner, Rob Hooper, Lindy Bryant, Olivia Garrison, Larry Littrell and Mary McFarland.

A homesteader and homeschool parent, Hanner is the creator of The Homestead Education, a company that offers education resources aimed at teaching youth self-sufficiency through hands-on learning.

Hooper is a board-certified safety professional with an almost-40-year career in environmental health and safety, while Bryant is an Air Force veteran with diverse training in disaster response and emergency operations.

Garrison, who grew up in western Washington, travels the western United States offering tips on herbal medicine and mountain preparedness. Littrell will speak on building a resilient homestead and being self-sufficient, and McFarland will speak on her family's off-grid homestead which includes raising Shetland sheep.

In celebration of the expo's 10th anniversary, Cosner said commemorative T-shirts will be offered for sale and drawings will be held throughout the day for door prizes as well as a special door prize drawing at the event's end. Winners must be present to win.

For more information on this year's speakers and classes, go to panhandleprep.org.