With a little over a week until the opening of the 57th Annual Baldwin County Fair, the fair’s new home located on the old Berner Road, now called Fairgrounds Road, is bustling with activity.

While the state-of-the art, 38,000 square-foot Robertsdale Coliseum facility will not be ready for another two months after the fair opens, plans to have this year’s fair at the new facility will proceed.

“We had to vacate the old facility,” said fair manager H.B. “Sonny” Hankins. “We’ll just have to do the best we can with what we have finished.”

That means in addition to the animal shows, competitions and the annual two-day rodeo, all the exhibits and concert shows will also be held in the 2,200-seat, 78,000 square-foot arena which was completed in February.

“This is the largest facility in the Southeast,” Hankins said, “and is more than capable of holding all that we require this year until the Coliseum can be completed.”

The fairground facility is also ready with plenty of space for parking, food booths and the Meyers International Midway, which will be bigger and better this year.

“We will have about twice as much space this year as we have in past years,” Hankins said. “We’re looking forward to hosting some big events at this year’s fair.”

General admission is $5, $1 for children 6-12. Children under 6 will be admitted free.

Special events at this year’s fair will include th “Wild West Follies” show, “The Great Little Bear Show,” and Gear Jammers Car Club Show.

There will also be a Milk Maker Activity Station and Funny Farm Petting Farm and Trackless Train set up daily at the fair.

This year’s fair kicks off at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25 with creative arts, apiary, cattle, equine, goats, poultry, rabbits and sheep shows in the arena. At 4 p.m. the Alabama Sweet Potato Association, the Baldwin County Board of Education, the Baldwin County Farmers Federation and the Baldwin County Sweet Potato Growers will host the annual Sweet Potato Contest.

Tuesday is also Senior Citizens Day with all senior citizens admitted for free.

Exhibitions will open from 4 to 6 p.m. The Myers International Midway will open at 6 p.m. with arm bands costing $15.

Wednesday, Sept. 26 is Kid’s Day at the fair with students admitted free.

Exhibits will be open from 3 to 10 p.m. with Children’s Agricultural Exhibit, Sweet Potatoes, Electrical Safety, Yarn Spinning, Recycling, Row Crops and Corn Shelling exhibits open from 3 to 5 p.m. at the arena.

Midway opens at 4 p.m. with arm bands costing $15.

The Coca-Cola Vault Race will begin at 6 p.m. with a $2 entry fee per horse and rider and a top prize of $100.

“All children with a horse are encouraged to enter this event,” Hankins said.

Exhibits will open again Thursday, Sept. 27 from 3 to 10 p.m. with Cattlewomen’s Essay Contest Awards at 6 p.m. in the arena.

The Midway opens at 6 p.m. with arm bands available for $15.

Exhibits open Friday, Sept. 28 from 3 to 10 p.m. Midway opens at 6 p.m. with arm bands for $15.

Friday and Saturday will feature the Professional Championship Rodeo beginning at 7:30 p.m. both days, featuring announcer Woody Woodruff and clown “Slim” Weeks.

Exhibits will open from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday featuring the Gear Jammers Car Club of Baldwin County Show.

Midway opens at 1 p.m. with arm bands for $15 from 1 to 5 p.m. only. From 5 to 10 p.m., rides will be per ticket only.

Drawings of $50 at the Cattlewomen and Cattlemen’s Booth will be held at 8 p.m. each day.

Established in 1948, the Baldwin County Fair is the longest running county fair in the state, Hankins said. The fairgrounds had been at the same location on Palmer Street in Robertsdale for the last 50 years.

In April of 2006, The Baldwin County Cattle and Fair Association received a $2,293,863 community facilities loan from USDA Rural Development to construct the new Baldwin County Fairgrounds, which will include the arena, fair grounds and coliseum.

On Wednesday, May 18, funds totalling $7,534,073 were awarded to the Baldwin County Cattle and Fair Association for the construction of a new Coliseum, which would also serve as a storm shelter for Baldwin County.

The grant, administered through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant program, represents a 75 percent federal share of the total project cost of $10 million. The Baldwin County Commission and the Baldwin County Cattle and Fair Association will provide the remaining 25 percent of the project’s cost.

The coliseum, which is scheduled for completion Nov. 30, will be a state-of-the-art multi-use facility.

“From the fair, to wedding receptions to use as a shelter, the usage of this facility will be virtually limitless,” Hankins said.

The shelter is capable of sustaining 200 mile-per-hour winds and will be able to house 5,000 people overnight and up to 2,000 people on a long-term basis.

The facility will also include secure areas for temporary housing of prisoners or special needs persons.

With kitchen facilities, shower facilities and plenty of restroom facilities, the coliseum is capable of housing people for up to a year, Hankins said.

The facility will also include offices for the Baldwin County Cattle and Fair Association.

The facility will also include state of the art fiber optics for the installation of television screens and will include state-of-the-art security.

For a complete listing of events and fair activities, look in the Baldwin County Fair insert in this week’s Gulf Coast Newspapers.

“The people of Baldwin County owe a debt of gratitude to the Baldwin County Cattle and Fair Association, the Baldwin County Commission, FEMA, the City of Robertsdale and others to numerous to mention for working together on this project,” Hankins said. “There is truly nothing else like it anywhere.”