Many counties elected not to have a county fair in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a wide range in how counties approached fairs, from canceling completely to holding a virtual fair so 4-H members still could complete projects.

Some counties asked judges to judge projects from home. Others asked judges to come to the fairgrounds to evaluate static projects without members present. Several counties held one-day livestock shows for 4-H members and their immediate families.

Various factors played into these decisions. Purdue University Extension didn’t allow staff to participate in in-person 4-H fairs in June. For later fairs, they issued strict guidelines. County fair boards, county commissioners and local health departments also had input.

A faithful reader recently reported that Howard County, Ind., held its annual fair, and although there were some changes to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, it sounds like the closest to a normal fair we’ve heard about yet.

Value of the fair

Denny Middlesworth operates the family farm in Howard County. These days, however, he commutes three times a year from Kirkland, Wash. That gives him a different perspective, and this year, gave him a great appreciation that the local county fair still happened.

The Howard County Fair is put on by the Greentown Lions Club in mid-July. I was fortunate to attend the fair many years ago, courtesy of Bryan Kirkpatrick, a local farmer. It’s a class act, with plenty for the public to do but keeping 4-H’ers at the heart of the fair.

“A lot of work went into the planning and actual accomplishment of the fair,” Middlesworth says of this year’s event. “The Greentown Lions Club has a can-do attitude on presenting the fair, and has done so for more than 50 years.

“The 4-H livestock show went on with no overnight housing of animals. Friends and family were allowed in the bleachers with masks, following social distancing, to observe the contest.”

He says there were midway rides, and Pioneer Village was open and well-attended. Steam engines powered a sawmill and threshing machine for demonstrations. The fair also included plenty of food.

NEAR NORMAL: The Howard County Fair, put on by the Greentown Lions Club, featured a Pioneer Village and wheat threshing in 2020.

“Attendance was down a little bit, but everyone enjoyed homemade ice cream or fruit cobbler every night of the week,” Middlesworth says. “Many came from other counties, as their fair was canceled.”

Perhaps his most telling comments put county fairs in perspective with other events that occurred and are still occurring across the country this year.

“There were no windows broken, bricks thrown, buildings burned or obscenities directed at police,” he says. “It was refreshing to observe people just enjoying themselves at the local county fair.”

Rural people are optimistic. The Greentown Lions Club is already advertising dates for the 2021 Howard County Fair, set for July 12-17 in Greentown. Let’s hope by next summer, every county can hold its own county fair, live and with as few restrictions as possible.

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