The Fayette County Senior Fair Board has released the schedule of shows and sales for the 2020 Fayette County Fair.
“With the relaxation of restrictions and guidelines from the Governor and the Ohio Department of Agriculture we decided to go forward with a near normal fair,” Bob Schwartz, Fayette County Senior Fair Board President, said. “We are going to have scheduled grandstand entertainment, we will practice social distancing, we are going to stay with the protocols of the Ohio Department of Ag and the Ohio Fair Managers Association and what their guidelines are. We are going to be stringent about disinfecting and sanitizing the restrooms as well as try to keep people from gathering in too large of groups. We are going to invite all of our food vendors as we have had in the past, their schedule may keep them from coming this year, but we are inviting them. Our ride company that is going to serve us has been in Georgia in the recent weeks, and the guidelines and restrictions in terms of disinfecting and sanitizing the rides have been very tough. So they are going to be well-versed in procedures on how to keep the rides clean and safe for each rider. It will not be their first rodeo, so to speak. We want to be as safe as we can, so we urge the community to be cautious and to use the hand sanitizing stations around the grounds.”
In a letter on its Facebook page and on its website fayettecofairoh.com, the Fayette County Senior Fair Board addressed the exhibitors and their families for the Fayette County Junior Fair.
“The Fayette County Fair is drawing near and with the current challenges and changes that have been made due to COVID-19, we wanted to take some time to share some important information and a new schedule,” the letter states.
One of the changes highlighted is that all 2020 sales will take place on Saturday, July 25 the final day of the fair this year at 9 a.m. No animals will enter the ring and champions will take photos at a backdrop off to the side of the sale ring. Exhibitors will have one time through the sale ring. Currently, the order of the sale is dairy steer, beef steer, dairy feeder, meat goat, dairy goat, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, lambs and hogs.
“At weigh-in you will need to designate if your animals are going home or through the sale,” the letter states. “”This cannot be changed after check-in, except for individuals with overall champions. Any extra animals of all market species can be placed on a truck for market value with arrangements being made at weigh-in. All extra animals need to be cared for by the exhibitor until the truck arrives.”
Also in the letter are several health and safety guidelines that should be followed when at the fair. Among the guidelines are priority seating being given to exhibitor’s families during the shows and sale, and if too many people are gathered around the ring, non-family or youth not in the ring will be asked to vacate the area until their family is showing. The fair board also said that when sitting in the bleachers, families should give each other six feet of space and is asking that no more than 10 people congregate in an area at one time.
The fair board also stated that exhibitors should not shake hands, bump fists, or high-five the judge or non-family members to keep the risk of spreading low. Finally, anyone who has a fever, cough or is feeling ill should stay home.
“The Junior Fair events are pretty close to what we have done in the past, the major change is we are going to dismiss the livestock if they choose to go home, they can go home,” Schwartz said. “Probably the biggest change that the public will notice, due to the situation with the pandemic, we are not going to have three nights of the Junior Livestock Sale. We are going to hold the sale on Saturday for all species. We have gotten feedback from buyers in the past that it has been difficult for them to attend three nights, and so this has been suggested to hold one sale day at one time. We thought with the situation this year, and the financial burden is has put on businesses and individuals, we would try a one-day sale. We will see how it goes and if the buyers want to go back to three nights we can always discuss it, but I want to ask that everyone have some patience with us. We are trying to do the best job we can, we know we are not perfect, but we are trying to do the right thing by the exhibitors, the buyers and the community.”
The 2020 Fayette County Fair adjusted schedule:
SUNDAY, JULY 19
7 a.m. – Livestock move-in begins
8 to 11 a.m. – All poultry birds must be moved into barn. All meat chickens and turkeys will be leg banned and weighed. All rabbits must be moved into barn and identified. Meat pen rabbits will be weighed.
2:30 p.m. – Junior Fair Opening Ceremonies at Grandstand (no admission charge).
Hogs may arrive after 5 p.m.
MONDAY, JULY 20
7 a.m. – All livestock in place
7:30 a.m. – Market Hog weigh-in at Hog Pavilion
8 a.m. – Market Beef/Feeder weigh-in at Cattle Barn
8:30 a.m. – Junior Fair Rabbit Showmanship at Small Animal Barn. Junior Fair Dog Showmanship, Obedience & Rally at Dog Show Area
10 a.m. – Market Goat weigh-in followed by Market Lamb weigh-in at Sheep Barn
1 p.m – Junior Fair Swine Breeding Show at Hog Pavilion (released after show)
4 p.m. – Poultry Showmanship at Small Animal Barn.
TUESDAY, JULY 21
8 a.m. – Junior Fair Horse Show at Horse Arena
8:30 a.m. – Junior Fair Rabbit Meat Pen Show followed by Breeding Rabbit Show at Small Animal Barn
9 a.m. – Junior Fair Market Beef & Showmanship at Sales Arena
10:30 a.m. – Junior Fair Swine Showmanship at Hog Pavilion
12 p.m. – Junior Fair Beef Feeder Show, Breeding Beef & Showmanship at Sales Arena
3 p.m. – Junior Fair Dairy Goat Show & Showmanship followed by Junior Fair Boer Goat Show & Showmanship at Sales Arena.
5 p.m. – Finals Swine Showmanship at Hog Pavilion.
Horses, beef cattle, rabbits and goats designated to go home or are breeding are released following the completion of their shows.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22
8 a.m. – Junior Fair Market Hog Show at Hog Pavilion. Junior Fair Market Poultry Show followed by Breeding Poultry Show at Small Animal Barn.
9 a.m. – (Tentatively) Goat truck scheduled (sale & truck animals to be loaded out)
11 a.m. – Junior Fair Dairy Feeder Show & Showmanship followed by Market Dairy Beef Show & Showmanship at Sales Arena.
5 p.m. – (Tentatively) Steer truck (sale & truck animals to be loaded out)
9 p.m. – All market hogs remaining in stalls slated to go home must stay, until load out of truck is complete.
Market hogs, poultry, and dairy feeders/steers designated go home are released following the completion of their shows.
THURSDAY, JULY 23
8 a.m. – Alpaca move-in and show (released after show)
10 a.m. – Junior Fair Breeding Sheep Show followed by Market Lamb Showmanship and Market Lamb Show at Sales Arena.
12 p.m. – All hog stalls must be cleaned out
5 p.m. – Junior Fair Olympics at Hog Pavilion
FRIDAY, JULY 24
9 a.m. – (Tentatively) Sheep truck (sale and truck animals to be loaded out)
10 a.m. – Junior Fair Dairy Show at Sales Arena
5:30 p.m. – Showman of Showmen at Hog Pavilion/Sales Arena
Dairy breeding are released following the completion of their show
SATURDAY, JULY 25
9 a.m. – Junior Fair Sale – Exhibitors will have one time through the sale ring and all animals that go through the sale are terminal except feeders and hogs. Order of the sale: dairy steer, beef steer, dairy feeder, meat goat, dairy goat, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, lambs and hogs.
The Record-Herald will have more information concerning the 2020 Fayette County Fair as it is released.
