COVID-19 concerns spoil Maries County Fair

Posted 7/8/20

The Maries County Fair Board has announced the Maries County Fair will not be held in 2020 but they hope to be able to present the milestone 75th annual fair in the summer of 2021.

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COVID-19 concerns spoil Maries County Fair

Posted

The Maries County Fair Board has announced the Maries County Fair will not be held in 2020 but they hope to be able to present the milestone 75th annual fair in the summer of 2021.

Fair Board President Tommy Pickering said the decision was a hard one to make and they went back and forth. Southern Fun, the carnival provider, canceled on the county fair because they can’t get help. Pickering said they decided it was in the best interest of the community to not have the fair this year because they could not guarantee the safety of those who attended and were likely would lose a lot of money.

On June 30, the fair board announced its decision to cancel this year’s fair, which originally was planned to be held Sept. 2-5.

They reported the Vienna FFA and 4-H livestock committees are making decisions on how best to proceed with their events. The Maries County Fair Association continues to work with them and will provide information as soon as it is available.

“Putting the fair on hiatus this year was not an easy decision,” commented board member Cindy Curtis. “We had to consider the health and safety of our guests, vendors, staff, volunteers and community, as well as the financial risks.” There was much discussion about how to move forward in the planning and a variety of possibilities were considered. They consulted the state and local health departments, CDC guidelines, event protocols, financial advisors/institutions, other local event planners, insurers and vendors. After weighing everything, there was only one conclusion—the risks were just too high, she said.

“While we understand that this may be a controversial decision, we hope to have your understanding and support as we explain a few of the major factors that went into our decision.”

Safety—The fair board members are aware of the risks of spreading COVID-19 at large gatherings. Not only would they be inviting community members to gather in large groups where social distancing is difficult, they also would be inviting in vendors and workers from outside the area, including those who constantly travel in and outside the state, increasing the potential for outside exposure.

Financial—Many businesses have been hit hard with the imposed coronavirus restrictions so sponsor and advertising revenue is understandably low. Also, the fair board would not be able to hold fundraisers and secure pre-sales.

These reserves pay for fair expenses such as the costs of events, insurance, deposits, lighting, sound, utilities, supplies, awards and trophies, food and beverages, printing, trash removal and more. There also would be a need for new, increased measures for cleaning and sanitizing along with the products, stations and volunteers necessary to sustain that effort.

Ethical—Even if the fair board increased gate prices, a much lower turn-out is very probable. The board members know many people are exercising caution in attending events and gatherings. Add the possibility of more rain-outs and the unpredictability of further coronavirus restrictions being implemented if there is a continued surge in new cases, this would mean the fair would not be able to recover financially, nor would the fair be insurable going forward.

“We take our responsibility to our community seriously and for all these reasons, we’ve made the decision to pull back this year,” Curtis said. “We will take this time to plan a proper 75th Anniversary of the Maries County Fair without the compromises that would have had to be made this year.”

The board is planning some fun and exciting fundraising events at the motor sports arena as soon as that is possible and looks forward to the community’s continued support and hope to have a great fair next year.