By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – You could argue that fall hasn’t arrived until you’ve eaten a fried Oreo and immediately gone to ride something that spins you around until you feel sick from that Oreo; well this week you have the opportunity to live that fantasy by attending the 67^th annual Shelby County Fair in Columbiana.

The fair isn’t just offering fun rides or all of the delicious fair food that we don’t mind indulging in now that our beach bodies aren’t as important, but will also be offering choir performances from schools across Shelby County, a petting zoo, a cattle show, a Shelby County Fair pageant, a pig contest, a talent contest and so much more.

Exhibits will also be available, which will offer canned and dried foods, fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, art and photography, sewing and horticulture.

Gates are open from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 3-11 p.m. on Saturday.

Admission is required for everyone above 36 inches in height and cost $12 at the gate and $11 online. For the first time the fair will also be offering discounted tickets to active, retired or honorably discharged members of the military for $2.

They will also be offering tickets for $6 on Friday for seniors 55-years-of-age and older.

Another new addition to this year’s fair is the previously mentioned petting zoo. Tennessee Valley Zoo is providing the petting zoo, which will feature a variety of domestic and exotic animals.

Rides at this year’s fair for older kids will include, Rock O Plane, Super Trooper, the Yo Yo, an Eagle Wheel, a fun house and a long slide.

Rides for the younger kids will include the Astro Wheel, a Merry Go Round, a train ride and a Skid Steer ride.

Admission to the fair includes all of those rides, while other fun carnival games and concessions have a separate cost.

If you would like to see a list of the events taking place each night you can visit alshelbycountyfair.com/events-schedule.html and see which schools are performing and what shows will be taking place.

The fair will continue through Saturday night, Oct. 8 at the Shelby County Exhibition Center located at 86 Argo Road in Columbiana.