After a meeting on May 10th, the Summit County Fair Board has formulated a plan to scale back this year’s Fair, due to the impacts of COVID-19.
In a press release, the Fair Board said that after much debate, they decided the changes had to be made in the interest of protecting the health of participants, the staff and vendors.
County Manager Tom Fisher gave a brief report to the County Council on Wednesday. He said it’s been an interesting and tough year for the Fair Board.
“Of course, this is a cherished event within the county. We put a lot of effort into it each year. It is a celebration of heritage and a lot of our culture in the county. And it’s difficult to contemplate it differently than it’s been done in the past. But as we all know, we’re in a different situation this summer.”
The events that have been canceled include the Demolition Derby, Little Buckaroo Rodeo Main Event, the parade and the Tour De Sunrise.
Several events will be modified. In particular, County Event Manager Tyler Orgill said the Livestock Committee is working hard to make the Livestock Sale happen. He said the event is a priority to everybody and they’re optimistic it will continue, even if the format is modified. Other events being changed include the Miss Summit County Pageant and the Senior Luncheon, which will be to-go.
Many of the animal events are going Virtual, including the Youth Pet Fest, Open Horse Show and the Poultry and Rabbit Show.
The fate of some other events will be decided at the next Board meeting. Those include the PRCA Rodeo, the Rodeo Queen Contest, Home and Fine Arts and the 4-H Exhibit.
