2020 Indiana State Fair Canceled

The 2020 Indiana State Fair will not take place in its traditional form due
to concerns related to COVID-19. The Indiana State Fair Commission and State
Fair Board say a modified 4-H Livestock Show and additional activities will
be held at the State Fairgrounds in August.

The commission says key elements to the fair, including vendors and
partners, began “falling off” due to the pandemic’s impact.

“Safety is our number one priority. We’ve spent months working through
options that would allow us to host the Fair,’ Cindy Hoye, executive
director of the Indiana State Fair Commission, said in a news release.
“Agriculture and youth are the foundation of our mission and the heartbeat
of the Indiana State Fair, so we are determined and proud to honor our 4-H
members with a version of that State Fair experience that allows Indiana’s
youth to be recognized for their dedication and hard work.”

Officials say the 4-H Livestock Show will showcase the 4-H project
components of the State Fair with a focus on youth education, development,
and the human and animal connection.

In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Hoye said the details of the
livestock show are still being worked out.

“While we can’t have the full blown traditional Great Indiana State Fair,
I’m super proud and excited about being able to lift up 4-H and especially
livestock,” said Hoye. “We are very proud of that commitment to youth and
especially to agriculture and we’re very proud that we’re able to produce
that for this year. We’re still seeing what else we might be able to add but
for now, as we’ve had to pivot and move forward, the board and the
commission and the staff were all very excited about this option.”

Hoye says the modified livestock show will have an in-person element to it,
with precautions put in place.

“The one thing that we have to work through is, with the new social
distancing, laying out the barn space. We may need to limit the animals that
a 4-H member may bring. That just gives us a way to spread them out in the
barn. So as we look at these adjustments, we’ve got to look at safety number
one.”

Hoye says the economic impact caused by the change is not fully known at
this time. Last year’s State Fair saw nearly 879,000 attendees.

This will not be the first time the fair was canceled or modified. The
commission says the Indiana State Fairgrounds was utilized during the Civil
War and World War II to support the war effort.

Source: Inside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick