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Story Melvin

Alex Garcia

Abdur-rahium and Jr take a ride on the bee's.

Laila and Mia Davis take a ride on the reace cars.

The Bottom fmaily takes a ride on the farris wheel.

PELHAM – A petting zoo, pig races and rides will flood the parking lot of Oak Mountain Amphitheater until May 14 as the Oak Mountain State Fair comes back to Pelham.

The fair will open its gates Thursday, May 4, at 5:30 p.m. and will run through Sunday, May 14. The fair will open at 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and at noon on Saturdays and Sundays.

The fair will be closed all day on Monday, May 8.

Admission to the fair will be free on its opening night, said John Ruffino, a partner at Red Mountain Entertainment.

Now in its sixth year, the Oak Mountain State Fair fills a void in Shelby County, Ruffino said.

“A state fair is something that was missing in the area,” he said. “There were small carnivals set up in parking lots, but there wasn’t a fair that included petting zoo, animal shows and a wide variety of rides.”

Admission into the fair is $8 and parking is $5. Unlimited ride wristbands are $25 on weekdays and $30 on weekends. Children 35 inches tall and below are admitted into the fair for free.

Tuesday and Wednesday, May 9-10, are dubbed “Buddy Nights” and admission into the fair will be buy one, get one free. Parking will also be free on those nights.

Attractions at the fair will include 14 thrill rides, 15 kids rides, laser tag, a sea lions show, pig races, mini horse races and a petting zoo with animals that can be hand-fed. On Sunday, May 14, Hispanic bands are scheduled to perform at the fair.

Patrons can also expect to see concession stands featuring their favorite fair foods such as funnel cakes, fried Oreos and turkey legs.

Ruffino said an average of 30,000 will visit the fair during its 10-day stay at Oak Mountain Amphitheater.

For more information about the fair, go to Oakmountainstatefair.com.

See many more photos at ShelbyCountyPhotos.com.

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