COVID-19 knocks out county fair

     “Blame it on the Bug” is the theme for the 2020 Great Jones County Fair.

     This summer’s 168^th fair will see a big change thanks to COVID-19... A modified fair, according to General Manager John Harms.

     At a Fair Board meeting earlier this month, the decision was made to cancel the main stage entertainment, free stage entertainment, as well as all vendors and concessions. Basically, as Harms put it, the midway will be empty this July. He said live entertainment across the country is currently on hold, making it difficult for all involved.

     “We are making efforts to negotiate the terms with our entertainers and grandstand events for July 21-25, 2021,” Harms said of next year’s fair. “We will make those announcements at a later date, and address our current ticketholders with their opportunities.”

     However, the 4-H and FFA youth will still get to showcase a year of hard work.

     The “modified fair” term refers to allowing all of the livestock and F.A.S.T. exhibits to go on as planned.

     “We’ll have a fair but it’ll be isolated to the livestock, 4-H, and FFA youth,” Harms said. “We’ll concentrate our efforts and maintaining an assembly we can manage with the CDC and Public Health guidelines.”

     While some decisions are still being made, Harms shared that the Fair Board was adamant they wanted to do something for the youth. “It was an overwhelming response to try our best for them.”

     This is the theme a lot of county fairs are attempting to follow across Iowa.

     With a member of the Extension Council and the Extension Director (Jennifer Fischer) sitting on the Fair Board, they all wanted to “celebrate what goes on in the youth world of agriculture,” Harms said.

     “The fair can still function without the concerts going on,” he added. “The fair and 4-H are one in the same.”

     That said, decisions are still being worked out as to whether the livestock shows will be extended from five to seven days, starting the weekend before the “five best days of summer.” (The 2020 GJCF dates are July 22-26.)

     “A seven-day fair would dilute the numbers,” explained Harms. “This would be the first time in the history of our fair we’ve gone for seven days.”

     Rather than showcase three or four livestock shows in one day, they might exhibit one or two per day to reduce the crowd size and increase the separation of people.

     “We want to do it as comfortable and efficient and safely as we can,” Harms said. “All for the experience for the 4-H families.”

     With the modified fair, gate admission will go away, public access will be restricted, all in an effort to control the population of people coming to the livestock shows.

     “We recommend that older people stay home,” suggested Harms.

     Normally livestock remains on the grounds in the barns throughout the duration of the fair. Now, they’ll be taken home after judging.

     Typically a month before fair week in June, everyone comes together to get pumped up for the annual fair kick-off party. At this event, all of the fair queen candidates are introduced. The fair also honors its own with the Friend of the Fair and Hall of Fame awards.

     “That’s on hold,” Harms said, acknowledging the fact that they do intend on recognizing certain individuals at some point in time. “We don’t want to diminish the significance of those recognitions in a short fair year.”

     Whether or not there will still be a 2020 GJCF Fair Queen and Princess is still being looked at by all involved as well.

     “If the State Fair is still on and they still have a coronation,” Harms said, “we have an idea of how it could work. We want a good experience for our queen, not sub-par.”

     Above all, the GJCF wants to do what it can for the 4-H/FFA youth to excel. Knowing the finances involved in having a successful fair, Harms said the decision to eliminate pieces of the fair was easy to make.

     “There are still lots of moving pieces,” he said. “The fair is still on!”