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Fair days on the way
Oct. 9 parade kicks off annual Kiwanis event
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Forty-five years ago the Statesboro Kiwanis Club began holding an agricultural fair, and the project snowballed. It’s been growing larger every year, drawing visitors from across the Southeast, and in about a week, the fair will be back in town.
    It kicks off Monday, Oct. 9 with a parade through downtown Statesboro, at 5 p.m. – only nine days away.
    A midway filled with rides, local food vendors, exhibits, art, entertainment and more lures visitors of all ages and tastes. The six-day event is the Statesboro Kiwanis Club’s only fund raiser, and money raised during the event is filtered back into the community through donations to various entities.
     The Statesboro Kiwanis Club boasts 155 members, and it takes all of them plus volunteers to operate the fair. The fellows (and ladies) in yellow jackets seen throughout the fairgrounds during “fair week” are Kiwanis Club members.
    It also takes a host of law enforcement officers, some on duty, others volunteering their time, to ensure the event remains a safe environment for families.
    Bulloch County Sheriff Lynn Anderson spoke to the club Thursday, assuring them his deputies and he would be a visible presence during the fair.
    Amusements of America provides the midway, and owner Dominic Vivona has promised exciting, new thrill rides and a delightful “kiddie ride” area separate from the rest of the midway, said Darrell Colson, fair chairman.
    Admission is free Monday, and for all other days, will be $5. Colson said this year is the first time in many years that admission prices have risen, and said the increase is due to a rise in expenses.
    On Tuesday, Oct. 10, Thursday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 14, wrist stamps may be purchased for $18 that allow the bearer to ride unlimited rides that day only. Friday, Oct. 13, the wrist stamps will be sold for $15, but only after 10 p.m., and are good until the fair closes at 1 a.m.
    It’s not too late to purchase advance ride tickets for the upcoming Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair. Buying the ride tickets early means a 50 percent discount, and if you don’t use them all, they will be good next year.
    “Each sheet of tickets sells for $10 and is significantly less than an equivalent purchase ($20) will be at the fair,” said Barbara Price, club member in charge of advance ticket sales.
    The advance tickets are available at the following locations: BB&T, Farmers and Merchants Bank, First Southern Bank, Park Avenue Bank, Queensborough National Bank and Trust, Sea Island Bank and Wachovia;
    Also, Briggs and Stratton; Dabbs, Hill, Hickman and cannon; Family Health Care Center; Georgia Power, Medical Center Pharmacy; Split Ends; Statesboro Agency; Uncle Shug’s; University Tire, and Viracon.
    Circle K club members will be selling advance ticket rides under the Georgia Southern University Russell Union Rotunda from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 5, and will join Statesboro Kiwanis Club members in selling advance  tickets at Kmart during the following times: Friday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 2 to 6 p.m.
    The fair includes free exhibits, livestock shows, nightly shows by the Fearless Flores circus and Thrill Show, live entertainment and more.
    The parade kicks off at 5 p.m. on North and South Main Streets in downtown Statesboro.

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