By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Clanton Kiwanis Club’s County Fair will return to Clanton City Park on Sept. 25-29.

Gates will open at 6 p.m. each night, except for Saturday when they will open at 5 p.m. The fair will stay open until the last person leaves, usually 9:30-10 p.m. weeknights and 11 p.m. on the weekend.

Carnival rides will be provided by James Gang Amusements from Andalusia.

Kiwanis member Scott Zuelzke said the company had provided the rides for this year’s spring carnival and offered new rides for the event.

“We had a lot of positive comments from the spring carnival about the rides, and the level of customer service that they provided to our patrons,” Zuelzke said.

He said the club was excited about the fair and having new rides.

Admission is $2 with those 3 years old and younger getting in free. Zuelzke said the price for each of the rides varies, but armbands will be for sale.  unlimited ride armband will be $15 on Sept. 25- 26 and $18 the rest of the week. Parking is free.

The County Fair is the major fundraiser for the Clanton Kiwanis Club. Money raised from the fair is then distributed to organizations that serve Chilton County children. Last year, the club gave $30,000 to local organizations. Some past recipients include Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Operation Santa Claus, local school Christmas gift projects, Thorsby FFA, En Fuego, CareNet and Butterfly Bridge.

Zuelzke said some of these are in the budget each year, while others are needs that the club has heard about at some point during the year.

A portion of the funds is also used to provide scholarships for Key Club members. Kiwanis member Bill Davis said this year the club funded three scholarships of $1,250 each for seniors who will be pursuing higher education.

The goal for the club is to have a Key Club in every high school in the county. So far, student clubs have been established at Chilton County, Thorsby, Maplesville and Verbena high schools.