With two weeks to go until the official start date of the Riley County Fair, yet another adjustment is being made due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Earlier this year, the Kaw Valley Rodeo and carnival along with several vendors pulled out of this year’s fair. Riley County K-State Extension Director Gary Fike on Wednesday also announced “Plan B” for its 4-H exhibits in Pottorf Hall, amid the city commission’s new face mask mandate.
“They will bring in their static projects and they will get them judged and receive a placing and those that are held back maybe for a champion award will be held for the judge to evaluate and then they take the projects home,” he said.
Clothing judging will still be held, but the public style revue will not. No open class exhibits will be displayed either. The same rules apply to the livestock portion of the fair, with the animals coming and going with 4-H members the day of their showing.
Fike explains it’s a difficult adjustment, but a better alternative to outright cancelling the fair.
“I’ve always tried to stress that our 4-H projects have always been about the kids learning new skills or enhancing their knowledge about the project that they’re enrolled in and that’s the number one thing,” he said.
Fike acknowledged that the public aspect is important to many as well including himself, but says the circumstances of the pandemic just wouldn’t allow that to take place this year. He says Riley County Health Officer Julie Gibbs has supported the fair’s decision after she had initially given them guidance early on during the pandemic.
“After the numbers came back up and stuff she didn’t call and ask us to go back, we just felt like it was the responsible thing to do,” Fike said.
The livestock premium sale will go on, but rather than the animals going through the sale ring, bidders will view the 4-H member with their animal on a large screen and place their bids.
The county fair horse show, which is traditionally a come and go show, will still take place July 18 in Wells Arena.
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