Huntsville Fair on Airport Road (Dothan, Fayette: credit, travel, costs)

[vakinderegg]

Yesterday we went to the fair with our family and a friends family. We had 4 adults and 4 children over the age of 4. When we arrived at the fair we had to pay $6 dollars per adult and $3 per child to just walk into this fair which is on hot asphalt and no tents to get some relief from the hot sun (there was a small tent that had some spraying water at only one end of the fair.) Then we were bombarded with religious pamphlets and Bibles. I have never been to a fair where there were religious organizations practically in your face trying to persuade you to take one of their Bibles or phamphlets. Then we had to pay for rides. We have just paid $36 dollars to walk just into the gate! We had a choice of either paying $20 dollars for an arm band or $1 a ticket. Since we had 4 children with us $80 seemed very expensive for going on a couple of rides. We bought $32 dollars worth of tickets....this gave us 8 rides...Then we bought 12 more dollars of tickets for one last ride..OK I know I am not cheap, but a 2 minute kiddie ride for $3-4 dollars seems high. I am not sure I will go back again. We spent a total of $84 for a total of 1 hour ......How does anyone or any family afford to go to somethng like this. I went to a fair in Kansas this summer. It was in a small town. The fair was twice as large and they did not charge anyone to go through the gates and the rides were not as expensive...and parking was free! I forgot we paid $2.00 to park.

Anyone else go to this fair???????? or unfair!


We learned our lesson!

We did want to turn around when we found out we had to pay to go through the gates but for days we talked about going to the fair and could not disappoint the children.
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[zenjenn]

Honestly this is one of the reasons I opted not to go, even though we were considering it. (Actually we were going to maybe go with Charles & family. I hope they had a better time than you!) Those prices are similar to the large fairs in southern California (Los Angeles County and Orange County), but one difference is that those fairgrounds are HUGE and allow for lots of free performances and exhibits (arts, crafts, agricultural, & technology), so even if you don't go on any rides there is lots to see and do. Once I looked at where the fairgrounds were I wondered how they could possibly have room for anything interesting. Did you get reamed for food, too?

The proselytizers are a new one on me though. I hadn't anticipated that!

[vakinderegg]

Zenjenn, We actually went with Charles and his family. You were smart not to go. I am not sure how an average family can afford going to something like this. It is so expensive. We learned our lesson and probably will opt to go to the carousel at Bridge Street for now on. Where are the county fairs that the 4H and other clubs bring their prize animals? This is the kind of county fair we love. I will give this fair a bit of credit. There was a nice petting zoo and the entrance of the fair. For a buck you can buy a nice size cup of food to feed the animals. This cup had enough food for all 4 girls.The girls had a blast feeding the baby goats.

[FLGAL76]

I don't live in Alabama yet but that is the way the fair is down here in Florida also. It is very expensive and yes you do get lots of religious pamplets and small pocket bibles but that doesn't bother me. I take them and smile and say thank you. We also have 2 small children so by the time you pay to get into the fair and food & drinks and buying a wrist band for them to ride rides at $20 a band and then $1-$3 per game to play. It ends up being $80-$100 for a family of 4 to go to the fair which is crazy high but that is what alot of fairs are like now a days. They do have some nights down here in Florida that are less expensive if you go on those certain nights but those nights are usually packed with people and kids so it takes forever to get on a ride or play games. I think it should be alot cheaper but everything now a days is getting higher in price it seems.

[dramamama]

Hey -- my daughter did the Celebrate Fairfax fair wtih her friends for her first and LAST time--I'd hoped the southern version would be more fun and like Charlotte's Web style of fair, but apparently it wasn't--too bad! I think the same people run the fairs traveling North for summer and back south for fall/winter. It's a total rip off, but what is worse is that here you had to deal with the Religious element. Sheesh.

I'm glad we went to Ross Bridge! Stay tuned--getting ready to post about it.

[flstatenolefan]

If you can get there, you must try the Peanut Festival in Dothan, AL. Wonderful exhibits, food, carnival rides....just my idea of a fair. I'm not sure of the dates, but you can google it for more info.

[dramamama]

There was a letter in today's paper about the fair and how lousy it was compared to days of old. The writer was a long time resident of Hville area. Too bad -- used to be a fun thing to do. Now it's just a money pitfall on asphalt.

[patrick1853]

Starting tomorrow you can have a second chance at a "real" fair in Fayetteville, TN. After saturday its $6 for ages 6 and up, children under 6 are free (Saturday admission is $20 because there is a Kellie Pickler concert, though I don't remember it costing this much extra in the past for concert night). We do have the traditional 4H, arts and crafts, harness races, demolition derby, etc.

Most of my family that lives in Huntsville drives up to Fayetteville rather than going to the fair in Huntsville.

Lincoln County Fair - Linoln County Tennessee

[vakinderegg]

Patrick1853 Thanks for the info...This is what I was hoping the Huntsville fair was going to be like, but unfortunately it was not! I hope we will be able to go to the one in TN.

Anyone know anything about the Octoberfest at Redstone next weekend??????

[financelife]

The fair has been an annual Huntsville tradition since at least 1988. Everyone knows about it and goes because of tradition. It is one of the area's highlights, and it is fun. Everything costs money these days, and even though you may not like it, you're kids will have memories for years after of the Huntsville Fair. I grew up going to it as so many other Huntsvillians have.

So sorry that it's not like what you were used to in Californ-I-A. Remember one thing though, you're in the South now Billy-boy, and in the South we have churches and baptists and pentecostal fire, and tradition.

If Hollywood is so great, then why did you come to the stix?

And this isn't written to offend anyone whatsoever, if it has, then bless your heart.