From Staff Reports

The 54th annual Shelby County Fair got under way Monday night in Columbiana.

This year’s celebration includes rides, exhibits, animals, refreshments and a variety of entertainment.

Tonight’s (Wednesday) entertainment features the Vincent Elementary School choir from 6-7 p.m., the Elvin Hill Elementary School dancers from 7-8 p.m. and the Summer Hill Players from 8-9 p.m.

Thursday night’s entertainment will include Elvin Hill Music Company from 6-7 p.m., the Thompson Intermediate School choir from 7-8 p.m. and

Montana from 8-9 p.m. Laura Culpepper will be on hand from 6:30-7 p.m.

Friday night is the always enjoyable Elvis Night at the fair.

And Saturday will offer a day full of exciting events including an Ugly Dog Contest at 3 p.m.

Local children are invited to participate in the Needle-in-a-Haystack competition at 5 p.m., and the Bluegrass festival will begin at 6 p.m.

Featured performers include Southbound, Tommy Toes Bundy, Blue Mountain Gospel, Good Time Bluegrass and the Dixie Mountain Boys.

Visitors to the fair will see winners of a variety of competitions including farm and garden produce, canned preserves, canned vegetables, jellies, pickles, sauces and fruits, drawings and paintings, sculptures, photography, ceramics and porcelains, other handcrafts, folk art, sewing, baked goods like bread, cakes, pies, cookies, pastry, dried flowers, cut flowers, plants, bedding plants, foliage plants, quilts, cross-stitch and herbs.

There will also be a pie-eating contest, sponsored by McDonalds; a youth mule exhibit; a youth burro exhibit; a pigeon exhibit; a poultry exhibit; a horse exhibit; a rabbit exhibit; and lamb, goat, beef and dairy shows.

There will also be hobby collections, an antique car show, antique farm equipment