VALLEY — Chambers County’s participation in Alabama’s Bicentennial Celebration gets underway during the noon hour on Wednesday with the debut of both the state’s traveling exhibit and Bradshaw-Chambers County Library’s Chambers County exhibit. The traveling exhibit will be here through Feb. 26, courtesy of the Alabama Humanities Foundation. It began touring the state this past March and will have been in all 67 counties by the time the state celebrates 200 years on Dec. 14.

The Chambers County exhibit, assembled by Cobb archivist Robin Brown, will be on display throughout the year. It tells Chambers County’s story from the Native American period up until contemporary times.

Also debuting Wednesday is the Chambers County passport. Sponsored by the Chambers County 200 Committee and the Chambers County Development Authority, the passport program is designed to be a fun and educational event for both Chambers County school-age children and adults.

“Any school-age child can participate in it for free,” said committee member Ellen Meadows. “The passports will be available at Bradshaw-Chambers County Library starting Wednesday. The passports are $3 each for the adults.”

A small, blue booklet, the passport can be taken to at least 14 events that are scheduled for the local area in 2019, the state’s bicentennial year. The passport will be stamped at each event the passport holder takes part in. Those whose passports are stamped the most at the end of the year will be eligible for prizes.

The first event to be stamped is the Feb. 13-26 “Making Alabama” exhibit at the library. Additional events to be stamped are the Chambers County Sheriff’s Rodeo, to be held at the Chambers County Agricultural Park in LaFayette the first Saturday in April; LaFayette Day in mid-April in downtown LaFayette; Hike/Bike/Run Day, Saturday May 4; Alabama Tourism Day, Thursday, May 2 at the Alabama Visitor Center in Lanett; Chambers County Library summer reader kickoff, May 24 in LaFayette and June 1 in Valley; the Fourth of July fireworks show in Valley; the Lanett Film Festival, tentatively set for August; the Historic Bethlehem Church Cemetery Day, to be held at the cemetery off River Road in Valley in October; Fredonia Heritage Day, to be held on the grounds of the Fredonia Community Clubhouse on Saturday, Nov. 2; the Christmas Merry Go Round, to be held on the Langdale tennis courts in December; the Valleywide Christmas Parade, which will be taking place on Thursday evening, Dec. 12, and the Cotton Mill Christmas Play, set for Saturday, Dec. 14.

Two more additional events could be added to the passport during the year.

Each participant is asked to print their name on the outside of the passport and bring it with them to each of the events in the bicentennial celebration.

“A committee member will square stamp it for you at the event,” Meadows said. “Bring the passport with you to the Merry Go Round between 5 and 8 p.m. (EST) on Saturday, Dec. 14 and turn it in for a prize.”