COLUMBIANA – The Columbiana Kiwanis Club is currently making preparations for the 68^th annual Shelby County Fair, which is set for Monday, Oct. 2 through Saturday, Oct. 7 at the Shelby County Exhibition Center.

According to Kiwanis Club member Vicki Letlow, this year’s theme is “Make it, grow it, sew it and show it.”

The county fair will feature exhibits, classes, livestock shows, vendors, games and carnival rides.

“One of the things we pride ourselves on is the fact that we still consider ourselves to be an old-fashioned county fair,” Letlow said. “The difference between a fair and a carnival is that there is something for everyone in the community at the fair.”

The Miss Shelby County Fair Pageant will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3. Letlow said this is the third consecutive year that the pageant has been a part of the county fair.

Letlow said the Kiwanis Club has been working to put the 2017 Shelby County Fair together for a year and will begin preparing for the 2018 fair soon.

“As soon as the fair is done, we immediately begin planning for the next year,” Letlow said.

Letlow said the fair incorporates volunteers from all over the county and raises funds for local youth programs.

According to Letlow, the Shelby County Fair has been a local tradition for decades due to the support of the Kiwanis Club and the community. Letlow said there are currently about seven people involved n the Kiwanis Club, and pulling off this year’s Shelby County Fair was no small feat.

Letlow said the Kiwanis Club is always open to new members and meets on every first and third Tuesday of each month at Columbiana United Methodist Church. An increase in membership will help the Kiwanis Club keep hosting the fair for years to come, Letlow said.

“The more people we have in our club, the more work it would take off of each individual,” Letlow said.

For more information about the Shelby County fair, visit Alshelbycountyfair.com.