Ohio's County Fairs Planning For Potential Return To In-Person Events

Ohio’s county fairs are already starting to plan for events this summer and fall. But whether the events will return to pre-COVID-19 crowd sizes depends on the state of the pandemic as 2021 rolls on.

Cuyahoga County has announced its fair for the week of Aug. 10. Fair officials are starting to discuss what’s possible this year under state current guidelines, said County Agricultural Society President Joanne Scudder, but those plans could change depending on what new guidance is issued by the state and county between now and then.

“I think we’re all very hopeful, but in the back of everyone’s mind is the possibility that we could be faced with the same kind of restrictions as we had last year,” Scudder said.

The fairgrounds has hosted events in recent months with safety protocols in place that can be applied to the fair as well, Scudder said.

“We’re very good at doing that, because we have had some events here that have been involved in that protocol and we ourselves feel very safe with how we maintain that process,” Scudder said. “We’ve had an unexpected year off and we’re all chomping at the bit to have a full fair.”

There is still the possibility organizers would have to pursue alternate options, she said, such as the car parades and remote activities offered in 2020. But for now, Scudder said, fair officials are optimistic.

“If we don’t start planning now for the fair as we know it, we may find ourselves in jeopardy if in fact they do decide to go with full fairs,” Scudder said.

The state’s 4-H coordinators are looking forward to a possible return to normalcy after so much virtual and remote activity, said Robin Stone with the Ohio State University Cuyahoga County Extension, with the past year’s programming focused on special interests like crafts, maintenance and animal care.

Last year, fair groups opted for virtual judging for 4-H competitions, Stone said, and are prepared to do so again this year if fairs are canceled later in the season. But the in-person events offer a chance for participants to show off their hard work, she said.

“We’re kind of really moving forward as best as we can, but knowing we’ll need to make some accommodations,” Stone said.

The Ohio State Fair, which opens July 19 at the state fairgrounds in Columbus, will not be open to the public this year, instead focusing on agricultural and educational competitions. Last year's  Ohio State Fair was canceled entirely, with organizers citing the difficulties of social distancing.