One of the biggest county fairs in the country has postponed until 2021.
The Elkhart County 4-H Fair Board of Directors made the announcement on their Facebook page this morning that the board voted to push the fair to their July dates next year.
The board voted to allow 4-H to proceed with their programs at the discretion with the understanding that they will comply with all of Purdue’s guidelines during the tradition fair work.
Here is the full release from the Elkhart County 4-H Fair Board:
It is with heavy hearts that we must announce that the Elkhart County 4-H Fair Board of Directors has voted to postpone the 2020 Fair to be held in conjunction with the 2021 Fair from July 23-31, 2021. Additionally, the board voted to allow 4-H to proceed with the 4-H programs at their discretion with the understanding that they will comply with all of Purdue’s guidelines during the traditional fair week.
For months we have continued to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, including local, state and federal health agencies’ recommendations on preventing this disease. We have also consulted with other Fair officials across the nation and with experts in our industry on how to execute an event of this scale under these circumstances.
However, the safety of our fairgoers, board, staff, vendors, volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors, and our community are our utmost priority and it is simply not possible to hold our beloved Fair this year, safely and financially. There are simply too many unknowns and circumstances out of our control.
We have every hope for our community to reach Stage 5 of the Governor’s Back on Track Plan by July 4, but there is no guarantee it will arrive as anticipated. Stage 5 of the plan also still advises fairs and festivals to enforce social distancing measures and follow other CDC protocols. A fair with these measures would not be the Fair we all know and love, nor would it be the Fair our community deserves.
As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, we must also be fiscally responsible so that we may continue our mission of promoting agriculture, youth development, community enrichment and 4-H for generations to come.
By continuing to work with local health officials, we hope to provide an alternative event in August for our community in a smaller, more manageable setting and will release more details about this event in the near future.
We understand our community may be disappointed and we are too. However, rest assured we are still here for our community and our youth, working to find ways to serve you safely.
We are already hard at work on our 2021 Fair and know that with your support, we will be back stronger and better than ever, ready to welcome all of you with open arms.
