By Robert Hudson

The Selma Times-Journal

The Selma Lions Club will host an event to give people a chance to have fun and give to a good cause.

The 55th annual Lions Club Central Alabama Fair will be held Oct. 3-8 at the Lion’s Fair Park on Dallas Avenue.

With the fair less than a month away, the final preparations of the year-long process are under way.

“Right now we’re working on our petting zoo area,” said John Haskell, fair director for the Selma Lions Club. “We’re working on our armory and doing repairs on it to get it ready. We’re cleaning up the fairgrounds. It’s an everyday process. At the end of every fair we start working for the next one.”

The proceeds for the fair will benefit a number of different causes.

“The main thing we give to is Sight (Alabama Lions Sight Conservation Association), where we give glasses to local people that can’t afford them,” Haskell said. “We give money to the Red Cross, Salvation Army … just a bunch of them. Everything we can make, we give away.”

Haskell said its an important event for the city.

“It means a lot to all the charity people we give to,” Haskell said. “It means a lot to the city and the community, too.”

The Central Alabama Fair will begin Monday, Oct. 3, with gates opening at 5:20 p.m.

For more information regarding booths or the beauty pageants, visit www.centralalabamafair.com.

Admission is $5, and children under 6 get in free.

“We’re going to have beauty pageants, there are going to be about 15 rides,” said John Haskell,   “We’re also going to have karaoke.”

The Country Karaoke for Cash will take place Thursday of that week and the winner will win $500 with second place receiving $300 and third place winning $200.

Applications can be picked up at Dixie 100 WDXX.

There will be a Miss Central Alabama Fair Beauty Pageant and a Junior Miss Central Alabama Fair Pageant.

The fair will also have rides, food, and local businesses will have booths to show off their products.