A more than 60-year-old event here in Alabama is about to kick off this weekend and bring visitors from every part of the state. The Alabama National Fair in Montgomery will provide all the Fall activity a family can hope for from October 30th to November 8th. This year the event dates have been pushed further into the fall season, which will allow for cooler temperatures as families enjoys a walk through the mid-way to hop aboard rides like the Wipe-out, MegaDrop, or Himalaya.

In addition to the topsy-turvy fun, there will be different shows to watch like the acrobatic K-9s in Flight, Kachunga and his 250 pound alligator, or the Hambone Express, a trio of racing pigs.

A bright autumn day can also be simply filled with the live music acts, photography gallery, livestock  competition, flower show, and various food stands.

School day for students will be on November 2nd with the rides opening up at 9 am on that day, otherwise the midway rides begin at 4pm.

Other exhibitions at the fair begin as early as 9:00 am.

One music act headlining this year’s festivities is Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Fair’s general manager, Randy Stephenson said getting this band to perform on November 7th was the biggest act the fair has ever done. The band has been creating southern rock since the 1970’s, even continuing on with its musical legacy despite losing three of its four founding members in a 1977 plane crash. Their classic hit “Sweet Home Alabama” will no doubt flow from the stage in Montgomery to the delight of all attending.

As for music to kick off the fair, Cole Swindell has been tapped to for the Saturday night opening act. Swindell has spent the last several months touring as the opening act for Luke Bryan as well as having been recently named New Artist of the Year at the 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

The fair is located at 1570 Federal Drive in Montgomery. General admission has a starting price of $10, with some variation in price due to scheduled events.