While there won’t be a proper Clark County Fair this year, plans were announced Friday for a pandemic-adapted Family Fun Series at the Clark County Fairgrounds.
Many of the same sorts of activities and events that usually add up to one big fair will be separately scheduled — and separately ticketed — from late July into August.
“When our promoters approached us with their ideas for stand-alone shows and events, we thought our community would appreciate the opportunity,” said fair Manager John Morrison.
Earlier this year, the Clark County Fair Board canceled its second summer fair in a row because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, Morrison said, rapidly changing guidance from state government and health authorities have made it possible to hold various events separately, so they can be safely and efficiently managed.
“We’re taking the biggest, most popular parts of the fair, like the carnival and the motorsports, and doing them as stand-alone events. That’s more manageable in terms of sheer numbers of people” than if they were happening simultaneously, Morrison said.
Here’s what’s scheduled so far:
• A Tuff Truck event on July 30-31, and a Monster Truck show on Aug. 1. Presented by WGAS Motor Sports.
• A 10-day carnival, starting Aug. 6, presented by Butler Amusements.
• An evening of bull riding in mid-August, date still to be announced. Presented by Wild West Events.
Normally, Morrison said, these events are underwritten by fair admissions and food sales and don’t require extra tickets for fairgoers to attend. Now, he said, a ticket-pricing structure is still being worked out that’s both affordable to fairgoers and generates sufficient revenue for fair exhibitors.
Tickets were not on sale and details were still pending when The Columbian spoke with Morrison on Friday morning. Check www.clarkcoeventcenter.com for updates.
Many more events will also be scheduled, Morrison added, including traditional youth livestock and agriculture projects. Those will be kept small and brief, he said.
“We really want to make sure young people who’ve worked hard all year have the opportunity to show,” Morrison said.
