Like so many events in 2020, the Macon County Fair won’t happen in its traditional format, but some aspects of it will go on in a digital space.
This fall’s fair, scheduled for Sept. 23-26, would have been the 67th annual edition of an event. Because of the COVID pandemic, it was not to be.
The fair’s board of directors decided that holding this year’s fair would be impossible due to social distancing concerns and the still very-active presence of coronavirus in the region. The event is one of the last of its kind, forgoing carnival rides and attractions for a purely agricultural experience. Board members worry that the future of the event could be in jeopardy due to an impending lack of funding after this year’s cancelation.
“The Macon County Fair generates approximately 70 percent of our budget,” the board said in a letter. “The Macon County Fair Board of Directors looked at every possible path of having this year’s fair but could not see a way for everyone to be safe.”
Even so, the show will go on, at least in the livestock pens.
“We feel very fortunate that we’ll still be able to do this for the kids,” said Sherry Cook, a board member. “Whether they’re 5 or 18, they’ve worked very hard for this and we didn’t want to discourage any of their hard work. As for what comes next, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
The fair board is asking businesses and the public to donate funds to keep the fair going.
“We know the residents of Macon County fully support our unique fair and will be extremely generous to assure the fair will continue for years to come,” read the letter. “Our Macon County Fairgrounds relies solely on the revenue we receive from the community.”
As for this year’s agricultural displays, livestock shows will still be happening through live streams of demonstrations that will be closed to the general public. Youth with the Macon County 4H Club and Franklin High School’s FFA will be showing off their goats, lambs, hogs and cattle in digital showcases from Wednesday, Sept. 23 through Saturday, Sept. 26. 4H youth have already gotten very used to online competitions this summer, and the Macon County Cooperative Extension is dedicated to replicating the fair for these kids as best as they can.
“During this season of COVID-19, the extension is working with and supporting the Macon County Fair Board to ensure that the youth of Macon County are able to exhibit their animals this fall according to governor Cooper’s executive order,” extension director Christine Bredenkamp said.
Franklin High School agricultural teacher Jenny Collins said that FFA activities haven’t been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Working with large animals entails a certain amount of space to work in, and judging and spectating from a remote location is a simple enough affair.
There have even been opportunities to expand the program this year, such as by increasing enrollment in the Partners in Active Learning Support (PALS) initiative, which partners up younger children with FFA mentors to get an early start in the club.
“This is one of the few things that they’ve been able to do even with all of the restrictions going on,” Collins said. “We’ve actually been able to step it up.”
For these students, it’s been easy to throw themselves into their work this summer. They’re still feeding, clipping and practicing with their animals as they would in any other year.
“It’s not really been that different,” FHS senior Dalton Haggard said. “It’s pretty much just been business as usual.”
The kids also appreciate that one of their favorite extracurricular activities can still go on even when so many other events have been lost to COVID-19, especially when so much of the fun is in the preparation.
“The cows are really sweet most of the time,” said 9-year-old Ariana Velazquez. “They let you hug them.”
For more information on how to donate to the Macon County Fair, call the board of directors at 828-369-3523. To watch this week’s livestock live streams, go to themaconfair.com.