PELHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Alabama Fair and Fiesta, which runs through April 19, kicked off Thursday night at the site of the former Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham.

In addition to offering rides and entertainment, this fair offers a respite for families with sensory issues.

From sweet funnel cakes to savory meats, there’s something for everyone, including a “sensory nook” for individuals with sensory issues.

Kissel Entertainment’s fair has been “sensory inclusive” certified by KultureCity.

The only thing you hear inside this KultureCity certified space is the white noise of the air conditioning unit humming overhead.

Paris Kissel with Kissel Entertainment says this room has gotten a lot of visits in the cities they’ve visited:

 “Dozens of times a day,” she explained. “I don’t think there’s a day that goes by that someone’s not requesting to use the room, so we’re really proud. We know there’s a need there, and to be able to provide a solution.”

Guests can also check out a “sensory bag” at the Welcome Center located near the entrance to the midway.

“For this year we have headphones,” she explained. “We have communications cards which are a big thing of helping folks that are nonverbal express any of their needs while they’re with us ,we have fidget spinners, tools like that, things to emotionally regulate people who have sensory deprivation.”

The calming space is also appealing to young families who don’t have sensory issues like Aeriel Cole, who arrived at the fair with her husband and a 4-month-old and a 2-year-old in tow.

“I just had a baby myself,” Cole explained. “And I know how overwhelming all this can be, the lines, the chaos, and all the things that the fair brings, this a great little relaxing place that the mom can go to.”

Kissel Entertainment is the only carnival provider in the U.S. is sensory inclusive certified. Kissel said she wishes more carnivals were certified.

THE FORECAST. ALL RIGHT. JASON. WELL, THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK MEANT TO GIVE PARENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AWARENESS OF THE OPTIONS THEY HAVE FOR THEIR CHILD’S EDUCATION. AND SOME RECENT POLLS IN ALABAMA SHOW THAT HAVING THAT CHOICE IS GROWING IN POPULARITY WITH PARENTS. A POLL COMMISSIONED BY NEW SCHOOLS FOR ALABAMA SHOWS THAT 67% OF THOSE SURVEYED SUPPORT A PARENT’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHERE THEIR CHILD GOES TO SCHOOL. NOW, THOSE POLLED ALSO SHOWED A 30 POINT JUMP IN OVERALL SUPPORT FOR OPTIONS LIKE CHARTER SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE A PUBLICLY FUNDED SCHOOL OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY FROM A SCHOOL DISTRICT. HERE IN ALABAMA, IT’S EASIER THAN EVER FOR PARENTS TO CHOOSE DIFFERENT AVENUES OF EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN. ALABAMA’S CHOOSE ACT GIVES PARENTS THE ABILITY TO PAY FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCHOOLING THROUGH WHAT’S CALLED EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS. WVTM 13 SARAH KILLIAN HAS A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW THIS WORKS AND THE IMPACT IT’S HAD ON FAMILIES IN OUR AREA. FOR JOEY, BETH AND JOSH BUGG OF HOOVER, HOMESCHOOLING THEIR DAUGHTERS WASN’T JUST A CHOICE, IT WAS A CALLING. WE REALLY FELT A VERY STRONG PEACE FROM GOD TO BE LIKE, THIS IS THIS IS THE RIGHT THING FOR YOUR FAMILY. BUT THAT CALLING WAS IN JEOPARDY IN 2024 WHEN JOSH LOST HIS JOB. HOMESCHOOLING IS VERY EXPENSIVE. CURRICULUM AND TECHNOLOGY AND PRINTERS AND PAPER AND MATERIALS ADDS UP VERY, VERY QUICKLY. WITH THAT FINANCIAL BURDEN LOOMING, A FRIEND OF CHURCH TOLD THE COUPLE ABOUT THE CHOOSE ACT ALABAMA SCHOOL CHOICE LAW. IT JUST WENT INTO EFFECT IN 2025. IT PROVIDES REFUNDABLE TAX CREDITS THROUGH EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, UP TO $7,000 FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND $2,000 FOR HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS. IT IS A LOT OF WORK TO GET IT AND TO GET THE ACCOUNT AND USE IT CORRECTLY AND SUBMIT IT. SUBMIT FORMS TO GET YOUR CURRICULUM OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. BUT FOR US, IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH IT. IT WAS HARD WORK, BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. AND IT’S BEEN WORTH IT FOR THOUSANDS OF OTHER FAMILIES IN ALABAMA. ACCORDING TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE AND THE TAX YEAR, 23,206 STUDENTS WERE APPROVED FOR EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, AND OF THOSE STUDENTS APPROVED, MORE THAN 19,000 RECEIVED THE MONEY, AND THE MAJORITY OF THE STUDENTS ARE IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS. WHILE MORE THAN 7000 HOMESCHOOL STATE REPRESENTATIVE DANNY GARRETT OF TRUSSVILLE WAS ONE OF THE SPONSORS OF THE CHOOSE ACT. HE SAYS HE FELT STRONGLY THAT THE STATE NEEDED TO ADDRESS A GROWING TREND. EVERYTHING IS ABOUT CUSTOMIZATION, FLEXIBILITY AND CHOICE, AND EDUCATION IS NO DIFFERENT. ALABAMA IS ONE OF 18 STATES THAT FUND EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS. SOME CRITICS SAY THAT THESE TAKE AWAY FROM FUNDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS. EVERY YEAR. WE’VE INCREASED THE EDUCATION BUDGETS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS EVERY YEAR ARE GETTING MORE EVEN WITH THE CHOOSE ACT, THE $100 MILLION OF AN $11 BILLION BUDGET THAT’S SETTING ASIDE FOR TUESDAY, THEY’RE STILL GETTING MORE MONEY. AND PUBLIC EDUCATION LEADERS IN THE STATE ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THAT. RYAN HOLLINGSWORTH IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS OF ALABAMA. HE FOLLOWED THE CHOOSE ACT CLOSELY AS IT MADE ITS WAY THROUGH THE STATE LEGISLATURE. THE LEGISLATION IS A PRETTY NICE IMPROVEMENT OVER SOME OTHER THINGS ACROSS THE NATION. IN ALABAMA, WE, THE LEGISLATURE, OUR LEADERSHIP, AND SET UP A SEPARATE ACCOUNT. SO THE ESSA ACTUALLY COMES OUT OF THE FUND, NOT DIRECTLY OUT OF THE EDUCATION BUDGET. AND WHILE HE AGREES THAT AS OF RIGHT NOW, PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE NOT BEEN SHORT CHANGED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE, HE DOES WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE. YOU’RE SEEING THE EDUCATION REVENUE START TO FLATTEN. IF OUR REVENUES FLATTEN, THEN HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GROW A CERTAIN PROGRAM WITHOUT TAKING AWAY FROM ANOTHER PROGRAM? STATE REPRESENTATIVE GARRETT IS QUICK TO ASSURE THAT FUNDING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE. BUT THINGS ARE CHANGING. WE’VE NOT SEEN ANY STATE THAT’S HAD SCHOOL CHOICE SEE A MASS EXODUS FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BUT YOU ARE GOING TO SEE A CONTINUED SHIFT. I THINK MORE AND MORE FEWER AND FEWER TO PRIVATE SCHOOL, MORE TO THE HOMESCHOOL MICRO SCHOOL. THOSE THOSE CONCEPTS SEEM TO BE REALLY GROWING AND GAINING, GAINING STEAM. THE HOMESCHOOL MOVEMENT HIT ITS PEAK DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND IT CONTINUES STRONG TODAY. APPROXIMATELY 3 MILLION STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HOMESCHOOL, AND WHEN THE BUCK FAMILY STARTED THEIR HOMESCHOOL JOURNEY IN 2023, THEY WEREN’T ALONE. SO THE LORD PUT IT ONTO MY HEART TO REACH OUT TO MY CHURCH FAMILY AND TALK TO DIFFERENT MOMS. AND BEYOND THAT, HE JUST REALLY STARTED BLESSING WITH MANY, MANY DIFFERENT MOM FRIENDS THAT WERE EITHER HAD BEEN HOMESCHOOLING FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR WERE CONSIDERING HOMESCHOOLING, AND TOGETHER THE BUGS AND OTHER FAMILIES AT HUNTER STREET BAPTIST CHURCH IN HOOVER STARTED THEIR OWN HOMESCHOOL COOPERATIVE, THE HUNTER HOMESCHOOL COOPERATIVE IS IN ITS SECOND YEAR AND HAS 63 STUDENTS GRADES ONE THROUGH FOUR. BRITTANY QUINN IS THE ADMINISTRATOR. PARENTS DROP THEIR KIDS OFF FROM 830 AND WE STAY UNTIL 130, SO TWO HALF DAYS A WEEK AND WE COVER ACADEMICS. WE HAVE CHAPEL EVERY DAY, TIME FOR RECREATION. YOU’VE GOT A GOOD HALF DAY, TWICE A WEEK OF ACADEMIC LEARNING, BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO THAT AT HOME, BY YOURSELF, WITH YOUR PARENTS, OR WITH A GROUP, OR AT THE PARK, OR AT THE LIBRARY OR ON YOUR COUCH. FOR THE FAMILIES INVOLVED IN THE CO-OP, IT OFFERS COMMUNITY. I FEEL LIKE IT HAS JUST OPENED UP A WORLD OF DIFFERENT THINGS FOR OUR DAUGHTER AND OUR UPCOMING DAUGHTER TO LEARN ABOUT AND SEE THAT SHE MIGHT NOT HAVE GOTTEN OTHERWISE. AND FOR THE BUGS, HOMESCHOOLING WOULD BE THEIR CHOICE. WITH OR WITHOUT THE CHOOSE ACT, WE KNOW THAT IT’S THE RIGHT FIT FOR OUR FAMILY. IT MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT FIT FOR EVERY OTHER FAMILY, AND WE SUPPORT THOSE FAMILIES IN WHATEVER JOURNEY THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON, AND WE ARE JUST INCREDIBLY THANKFUL FOR THIS IS WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR OUR FAMILY IN HOOVER. SARAH KILLIAN WVTM 13. THE APPLICATION FOR THE CHOOSE ACT FOR THE 20 2627 SCHOOL YEAR IS NOW OPEN. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY IS MARCH 31ST. YOU CAN FIND THE LIST OF