The Alabama State Fairgrounds, also known as Fair Park, was the former home of the Alabama State Fair (until 2001) and the Birmingham International Raceway (until 2009), and is located in West Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is located adjacent to the Five Points West shopping area.
The State Fair Arena and Exposition Building covers a combined total of 110,000 square feet (10,000 m2). The 117-acre (0.47 km2) fairgrounds were acquired by the City of Birmingham in 1947.
For many years, the grounds were home to the Alabama State Fair. [1] State fairs in Alabama date back to the days of the Antebellum South. [2]
The statue of Vulcan, was originally displayed at the fairgrounds, either whole or in pieces during its construction; it is now a Birmingham landmark atop Red Mountain. [3]
During the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s, the fairgrounds were used by Police Commissioner Bull Connor to imprison arrested demonstrators when the city's jails were full. [4] The fairgrounds have also been used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a disaster outreach event. [5]
"Kiddieland," a small amusement park located at the Fairgrounds, was a popular attraction for many years but closed in the early 1990s. A "Mikado" steam locomotive, #4018, which once worked on the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway was displayed on the grounds from 1952 to 2009. It has since been relocated to Sloss Furnaces. Former fairgrounds manager Tom Drilias resigned in 1999 following a dispute over unpaid bills at another festival he ran, [6] and was later the subject of an article in the Chicago Tribune reporting a series of legal problems. [7]
The state fair discontinued regular use of the facility because of poor attendance and high crime in the adjacent neighborhood. The Alabama State Fair Authority went bankrupt, and was dissolved sometime around the year 2001. No state fair has been held on a regular basis since; an effort to revive the state fair again in 2008 took place at the Verizon Wireless Music Center in nearby Pelham. The "Alabama National Fair", sometimes also called the "Alabama State Fair" in Montgomery is unrelated.
In 2009, there was an Alabama State Fair.
The old grandstand for the Alabama State Fair was later used as the Birmingham International Raceway (or BIR), it was designed initially as a home to both automobile and harness racing, as well as shows and concerts. Birmingham International Raceway (BIR) was located inside the gates of the Fairgrounds; it was demolished in January 2009, to make room for the construction of a natatorium and indoor track and field facility. [8] [9]
Alabama is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered by Tennessee to the north; Georgia to the east; Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south; and Mississippi to the west. Alabama is the 30th largest by area and the 24th-most populous of the U.S. states.
Montgomery is the capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for Continental Army Major General Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River, on the coastal Plain of the Gulf of Mexico. In the 2020 census, Montgomery's population was 200,603. It is the second most populous city in the state, after Birmingham, and is the 119th most populous in the United States. The Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area's population in 2020 was 386,047; it is the fourth largest in the state and 142nd among United States metropolitan areas.
Vestavia Hills, colloquially known simply as Vestavia, is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a suburb of Birmingham and it is made up of Vestavia, Liberty Park, and Cahaba Heights. As of the 2020 census, its population was 39,102, up from 34,033 in 2010. It moved up from the fifth largest city in Jefferson County in 2000 to the third largest in 2010, behind Birmingham and Hoover.
The Minnesota State Fair is the state fair of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Also known by its slogan, "The Great Minnesota Get-Together", it is the largest state fair in the United States by average daily attendance and the second-largest state fair in the United States by total attendance, trailing only the State Fair of Texas, which generally runs twice as long as the Minnesota State Fair. The state fairgrounds, adjacent the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota, are in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, midway between the state's capital city of Saint Paul and the adjacent city of Roseville, near the Como Park and Saint Anthony Park neighborhoods of Saint Paul. Residents of the state and region come to the fair to be entertained, exhibit their best livestock, show off their abilities in a variety of fields including art and cooking, learn about new products and services, and eat many different types of food—often on a stick. The Minnesota State Fair was named the best state fair in the United States in 2015 by readers of USA Today.
Southern Heritage Festival was a two-day music, arts, and culture festival dedicated to the African American population of Birmingham, Alabama. It was held from 2004 to 2006. The festival took place on the site of the future Railroad Reservation Park along Birmingham's "Railroad Reservation" corridor on the first weekend of August. Music styles include hip hop, Old school hip hop, classic R&B, and Gospel.
The Indiana State Fair is an annual state fair that spans 18 days in July and August in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. The Indiana State Fair debuted in 1852 at Military Park in Indianapolis and is the sixth oldest state fair in the U.S. It is the largest event in the state, drawing between 730,000 and 980,000 visitors annually since 2010. In 2015, readers of USA Today ranked the Indiana State Fair among the ten best state fairs in the country.
The Erie County Fair is a fair held in Hamburg in Erie County, New York, every August. Based on 2018 attendance statistics, The Erie County Fair is the second largest fair in New York and the fourth largest county fair in North America, often drawing over one million in attendance.
Jefferson State Community College is a public community college with multiple campuses in Alabama, including the Jefferson Campus in northeastern Birmingham, Alabama, the Shelby-Hoover Campus in northern Shelby County, the St. Clair-Pell City Campus in Pell City, and the Chilton-Clanton Campus in Clanton. It is the largest college in the Alabama Community College System.
Bell's Amusement Park was an amusement park located in Tulsa's Expo Square, part of the Tulsa State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma. It operated for 55 years before closing in 2006. The park was previously owned and operated by Keli and Jason Fritz. And was especially known for its large wooden roller coaster, called Zingo, designed by John C. Allen and built in 1966–68.
The W. F. "Bill" Harris State Fair Arena is a 5,000-seat multipurpose indoor arena located at the Birmingham CrossPlex. The arena is used primarily for basketball, but also hosts concerts and other events. The arena has previously served as the home of the Birmingham Magicians and the Birmingham Blitz of the American Basketball Association and the Alabama Outlawz of X-League Indoor Football. It is named in honor of Bill Harris, longtime athletics director for Birmingham City Schools. In 2022, it served as the venue for the artistic roller skating and inline hockey competitions at the 2022 World Games.
BIR or Bir may refer to:
The Michigan State Fair is an annual event originally held from 1849 to 2009 in Detroit, the state's largest city. In 2009 the governor declined to fund it because of other priorities.
The Arizona State Fair is an annual state fair, held at Arizona State Fairgrounds.
Rampage is a wooden roller coaster located at Alabama Splash Adventure in Bessemer, Alabama, US. Manufactured and built by Custom Coasters International, with design from Larry Bill, the roller coaster originally opened with the Vision Land amusement park on May 23, 1998. Rampage operated until 2002, closing for the entire season due to the principal owners filing for bankruptcy. The roller coaster reopened on May 26, 2003, under the Southland Entertainment Group ownership, until its second closure in 2012 under General Attractions. Rampage sat dormant for four years, before being renovated in 2014 by owners Dan and Natalie Koch and reopening for the 2015 season.
Birmingham International Raceway, (BIR) was a 5/8-mile oval paved racetrack located at the Alabama State Fairgrounds in the Five Points West neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. It was used primarily for late-model automobile racing.
General Charles C. Krulak Stadium is located in Birmingham, Alabama, and serves as the home stadium for the Birmingham–Southern Panthers football, lacrosse, cross country, and track and field teams. The stadium has a maximum seating capacity of 1,600, and opened for the homecoming football game against Sewanee on November 8, 2008. The 49-0 Panthers victory saw an overflow crowd of 3,575 in attendance.
The California State Fair (CSF) is the annual state fair for the state of California. The fair is held at Cal Expo in Sacramento, California. The Fair is a 17-day event showcasing California's industries, agriculture, and diversity of people. The CSF features blue-ribbon animal displays, culinary delights and competitions, live music concerts, a carnival, fireworks, and other family fun. In 2018, officials reported daily attendance drew between 20,000 and 60,000 people per day and about $8.5 million of food and beverage expenditures. The fair is policed by the California Exposition and State Fair Police.
The 1960 NASCAR Grand National season was the 12th season of professional stock car racing in the United States. Emanuel Zervakis was disqualified upon post-race inspection for the April 17 race due to an oversized fuel tank. This would be the last disqualification of a driver who had won the race on the track until 2022.
The Birmingham CrossPlex is a $46 million indoor track and aquatic facility developed by the City of Birmingham, Alabama as the centerpiece of the redevelopment of the Alabama State Fairgrounds near Five Points West. The facility's 200-meter hydraulically-banked running track and 50-meter swimming and diving pool are used by high school and college teams for training and competition.
33°29′48″N86°52′17″W / 33.4968°N 86.8714°W
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