With spring in the air and the warm days of summer fast approaching, Ft. Bragg is opening its gates once again so that the public can come out and enjoy the Ft. Bragg Fair. The fun begins at 5 p.m., April 29 with all the fun rides and entertainment that make this such a popular annual event.

Look for the fabulous snacks and food that make the fair such a special place, but according to Rhett Stroupe, special events coordinator at Ft. Bragg Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR), there is one ride that has thrilled area youngsters over and over again for the past 25 years.

“The most popular thing that the fair go-ers can get — that they can only get at the Ft. Bragg Fair — is the kiddie jump tower,” said Stroupe. It is a 20 ft jump tower with a zip line. Folks go up the tower, are fitted with a harness, at-tached to a trolley. “We have 30 carnival rides on the grounds, and of course all of the midway games and food. And guess which is the most popular attraction? The kiddie jump tower, by virtue of the fact that this is the only place that they can do that and experience that is here at Ft. Bragg.”

The entertainment schedule is packed with a variety of bands that cover the country, latin, rock-n-roll, gospel, reggae, Top 40 genres and more. The schedule is rigorous and fast-paced and includes two to three shows each day, usually in the evenings, except on Sundays which include an afternoon show.

“I can tell you that we have a repeat performance from last year by The Fifth. They are very popular and have a large local draw — a lot of folks follow them,” said Stroupe. “We have a military community here so we are a very diverse com-munity and we try to have diverse entertainment. On Friday, May 7, we have a new group coming called Oak Crest. They are a reggae rock group and are com-prised of soldiers here at Bragg — because they are soldiers we wanted to give them a shot.”

May 8 is Star Wars Day and will feature Star Wars characters in costumes. Last year was the first year that this was incorporated into the fair and it was quite popular according to Stroupe. There will be photo ops and hand shaking galore whether you are looking for a jedi knight or a storm trooper.

A new event has been added this year called Sea Lion Splash. Not only will there be performances and entertainment, but the audience will learn a few things too.

The fun will last through May 16. Gates open at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There are plenty of good deals to be had on ticket prices with customer appreciation specials running Monday through Thursday which includes $5 ad-mission for those On Mother’s Day, which is May 9, moms get in for $7 when ac-companied by a pay-ing child between the ages of three and 17.

Otherwise, Monday through Thursday general admission is $12 after 7 p.m., military/DOD civilians and children 3-9 are $10 and senior citizen non-riders and handicapped non-riders are $7. Friday through Sunday general admission is $17, Military and DoD civilians and children 3-9 $15, handicapped non-riders and senior citizen non-riders cost $7. Parking is free.

Find out more about this safe, fun, family friendly event at fortbraggmwr.com or by calling 396-9126.