State Fair continues through tonight

Through the passenger window, ahead on the right, the crest of a Ferris wheel peeks above the trees. For many, it’s a sight that signals the senses to remember the heart of the midway.

Plastic rings clank against glass bottles in the booths as children squeal in victory. Others scream and giggle from a cone of swirling lights elsewhere in the crowd, most likely trying to find a point in the distance to focus on as their world blurs. The odor of fried dough and powdered sugar fills your nose, so much that you realize after you finally cave and buy a funnel cake that there was no need; you’d been tasting it all night.

It’s the fair, and it’s here for one more night.

The Oak Mountain State Fair, scheduled for Sept. 26-Oct. 5 at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre and its adjacent parking lot, is a massive production that welcomes thousands. But its organizers said they went to great lengths to give the event a farmland fair experience.

The memory of the time you were devastated after dropping your corn dog into the goat pen will be so vivid you won’t even buy one this time.

“We’re trying to recreate the feel of the state fair,” said John Ruffino of Red Mountain Entertainment, a partner with the Amphitheatre. “For so many years, Birmingham had something traditional at the fairgrounds with more agricultural types of attractions. We’re trying to recreate that.”

Supporting that claim, this year’s attractions include pig racing as well as duck racing, a petting zoo, pony rides and a bull-riding competition on Oct. 5.

But for the enthusiast of the more evolved fair, there’s more than a dozen other reasons not to miss out – rides, and big ones. Included this year are the 130-foot-tall Star Tower, the Cliff Hanger and the Century Wheel, billed as the tallest traveling Ferris wheel.

Other attractions include: “On the Edge,” a team of stunt riders performing two-wheel tricks; a human cannonball show with Stephanie Smith, one of the few women to master being fired from a cannon into a net 130 feet away; and the Skin and Bones Comedy Circus, which features trained dogs and potbellied pigs, juggling, magic and plenty of comedy.

Ruffino said attractions and shows would mostly take place on the weekends. The State Fair also boasts state-of-the-art skill games, a host of retail vendors and live music.

“It’s really an event to get the community involved,” said vendor coordinator Lisa Le. “We’re focusing on giving back to the area by providing thrilling events and attractions for the whole family.”

For more, visit oakmountainstatefair.com.