Fair begins comeback after COVID-stricken year
Last week was the long-awaited return of the Macon County Fair, and organizers were encouraged by the results.
As with most events in 2020, the Macon County Fair had to be modified last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While things were looking good this spring, this year’s fair was almost derailed too because of the surge of the Delta variant. In the end, the fair board’s membership decided that because of the spacious nature of the event, there would be plenty of room to social distance, so it would be safe enough to proceed. They really didn’t want to risk another year off.
“We heard a lot of people say that if you skip two years in a row, you might as well just stop,” board member Joe Doster said. “This is too important for us not to keep it up.”
Coronavirus was still a factor in this year’s event. There were warning signs and hand sanitizer stations set up all over the fairgrounds to keep people aware of safety concerns, but even so, many regular attendees pulled their booths this year due to COVID concerns. Board co-chairman Dennis Conley said 5,000-6,000 people came through over the course of the week, only about half of what was expected in years past, but that those who did come by were treated to the best the county had to offer.
“It wasn’t as big as we would have liked, but what we did have was of the highest quality,” Conley said.
Just getting the fair off the ground was an achievement this year, so the roster of attractions wasn’t anything too experimental. Visitors got to examine livestock from local farmers, sample some barbecue, check out student artwork submissions, hear from presenters from local businesses and civic organizations and generally experience what’s going on in Macon County today. One welcome change was an increased level of participation from Macon County Schools, which had several groups of students presenting livestock and many more watching shows on field trips. Conley takes this as an especially comforting sign because it means that regional agricultural traditions are being passed on.
“We don’t have as much agriculture here as we used to, but it’s still an important part of who we are as a community,” Conley said. “These kids are the future of agriculture here.”
It’ll be a few days before the fair board knows exactly how much money they collected through donations, booth fees and the like. Regardless, there are already plans in the works for next year’s fair. Board member Chuck Sutton said the turnout this year is proof that there’s still plenty of demand for the fair, so next year’s event should be even bigger and better.
“It was an encouraging turnout after a year of inactivity, or at least near inactivity,” Sutton said. “There’s bright days ahead for the Macon County Fair.”
For more information on the Macon County Fair, call (828) 369-3523 or go online to www.themaconcofair.com.