This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair, and along with the milestone comes a facelift for the fairgrounds.The 50th Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair will be held Oct. 17-22, with the fair opening Monday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. after a parade through downtown Statesboro.Don Poe, 2011 fair chairman, said a great deal of work is being put into renovations, improvements and additions to the site, located off Ga. 67 just past “Joe Hodges Hill,” a local nickname for the area near the intersection of Burkhalter and Ga. 67.Getting the fairgrounds ready for the week-long annual event is always an undertaking, but getting ready for the 50th anniversary is an even larger task, he said.The celebration is “just like a 50th wedding anniversary,” he said. Just as one would prepare the home for a significant event, “We’re throwing a party for the 50th anniversary and we want to spiff everything up.”The most noticeable change from the highway is the color scheme of the fairground buildings. While some may be surprised by the bold blue and gold colors, those are the Kiwanis International colors and the Statesboro Kiwanis Club voted on the colors, Poe said.Club members, volunteers and others have been working for months to get the ground ready for the fair, he said.The Heritage Village area will have the most notable changes, with an expansion of the area used, he said.