The Union County Fair Board is working to hold this year’s fair on July 26 through Aug. 1. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
Officials from the Union County Fair are moving forward with plans to hold the event as scheduled.
“As of right now we are being told by the ODA (Ohio Department of Agriculture) to proceed as planned,” said Angie Grose, secretary of the Union County Agricultural Society which serves as the fair board.
She said the board is “being optimistic and hopes to see everyone in July.”
The Union County Fair is scheduled for July 26 through Aug. 1.
Grose explained that while Gov. Mike DeWine has said it is a possibility, no fairs have been canceled by the state.
“With that being said we are working with our vendors and merchants, exhibitors on what will happen something changes and we can’t have a fair,” Grose said.
The decision to move forward with the fair was made at an emergency meeting recently.
Officials acknowledged that the fair board is “experiencing challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“While being fiscally responsible we are trying to do our best to optimistically proceed to plan the 2020 Union County Fair,” according to a release from the fair board.
The notice said the board is “making adjustments and trying to do what is in the best interest of the 4H/FFA kids and their projects.”
At his press conference Thursday, DeWine called kids, 4H and FFA, “the heart and soul of the county fair.”
“The thought that kids wouldn’t be able to take their lambs to show is just, I think that’s just horrible,” DeWine said.
County 4-H leaders have said clubs are making adjustments. Clubs have been prohibited from holding any in-person activities.
“They must be canceled, held virtually, or postponed until after July 6,” according to information from Christy Leeds, extension educator for 4-H youth development at The Ohio State University’s Union County extension office. “Many of your clubs are meeting virtually now. Some clubs may be waiting to meet until after July 6.”
Leeds said information “has been changing rapidly.”
“We are doing our best to sort out changes, make plans, and keep you informed,” Leeds wrote in a letter to 4-H participants.
She said the fair’s livestock committee has made plans to do livestock tag-ins virtually. Members enrolled in swine, sheep, goat and dairy feeder projects will identify and upload their livestock pictures and information online.
DeWine has said as long as COVID-19 lingers, “big events, where we are mixing together, are pretty problematic.”
The governor said it is important to “take this a few weeks at time, to see where we are.”
Even so, he wants to be creative and keep options open. He said there “may be ways of doing this that I have not thought about or don’t know about.”
“We should not rule that out and say that anything is cast in stone, that we can’t do that or we can’t do that,” DeWine said. “We just don’t know, and so what we got to do is make the best decisions we can based on what we know now, and as those facts change, we can adjust.”
The local fair board has said it appreciates the sponsors, vendors, merchants and families that continue to support and believe in the county fair.
“We will continue to work through the challenges as they arise by planning for the worst, while hoping for the best,” Grose wrote.