COLUMBUS, Ohio – Earlier this month, the Ohio Fair Managers Association, Greater Ohio Showman’s Association and Ohio Fairs & Festivals Association sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine asking for guidance so that county and independent fairs – and the Ohio State Fair – have adequate time to plan and prepare for the 2021 season.

Likewise, livestock and farming commodity groups, including Ohio Farm Bureau, sent a letter to DeWine’s office, asking him to move forward with plans for fairs as soon as possible, and for an additional $2 million in funding to help the Ohio Expo Commission with costs of personnel and the state fair.

“Our fair boards and exposition commission continue to be in limbo…and we ask for immediate guidance and authority for our fairs to be able to fully operate,” the latter group’s letter reads.

Last week DeWine responded, saying that “as COVID-19 cases continue to decrease as the year continues we anticipate having full county fairs this year. It’s possible that, by the time we get to fair season, we may be off the health orders if things continue to go well.”

Ohio’s first set of county fairs will get underway in June. DeWine worked closely with Ohio Department of Health Director Stephanie McCloud to issue guidance on fairs and any limitations that would be required.

The news comes as DeWine said the state’s key numbers in the battle against COVID-19 continue to improve. The goal for Ohio is to reach an average of 50 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week span. Once that happens, DeWine said all of the state’s health orders will be eliminated. As of March 15, Ohio stands at 155 cases per 100,000.

According to the governor’s current guidelines, social distancing and masks will be required at all fairs. There will also be a 25 percent maximum for indoor grandstand capacity and a 30 percent maximum for outdoor grandstand capacity.

Each fair and animal exhibition will be instructed to designate an on-site compliance officer, for all hours of operation, whose responsibility is to ensure compliance with the revised health order. (The designated individual shall be the contact person for the local health department and law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction).

Campgrounds will be permitted to be open. Tables for eating will be allowed, but kept six feet apart. Also, no more than 10 people will be allowed per table if food is consumed while seated. Congregating in large groups by organizers, managers, staff, exhibitors and patrons will be prohibited. Amusement rides will operate in their usual manner, with social distancing in lines required. Sanitation stations will be provided at convenient places at each fair.

These guidelines, however, are subject to change.

“By the time we get to the second month of fairs, or possibly the first month of fairs in June, we may be off health orders, we just don’t know,” DeWine said. “We just hope things continue to go well.”

Last year, DeWine scaled back county fairs. They were limited to junior fairs with livestock and 4-H competitions. 

All state fairs in the Farm World readership area were scrubbed in 2020 due to COVID-19. The Ohio State Fair saw more than 934,000 patrons in 2019, but not one last year. For Illinois, it was the first cancellation since World War II. For Iowa, it marked the fifth cancellation in that fair’s 165-year history.

“In 2020, many fairs were only able to hold junior fairs due to the pandemic and related health guidelines,” said Howard Call, executive director for the Ohio Fair Managers Association. “If 2021 looks similar, many amusement ride, game and food operators’ businesses will not survive.”

COVID-19 cases in Ohio rose drastically in the fall and winter, and have recently begun coming down again. Fair organizers are worried that a rise in cases will make it hard to plan for the upcoming season. But according to DeWine, things are on the upswing.

“We appreciate the governor’s response to our request for guidelines for our county and independent fairs to move forward with the planning process for the 2021 season,” said Adam Sharp, executive vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau. “These fairs bring great pride to Ohio communities. Putting these guidelines in place will help to keep fair attendees safe and we look forward to a successful, and much needed, fair season across Ohio.”