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CapitalPress.com
Friday, May 21, 2021
State fairs are back – but get ready for changes
“slimmed down.”
Despite changes, people
say they’re excited the fair will
resume after being canceled in
2020.
“There’s defi nitely a light
at the end of the tunnel,” said
Rick Pickering, CEO of Cal
Expo.
The pandemic was hard on
Cal Expo, which receives no
funding from the state, county
or city. In March of 2020,
Pickering said, Cal Expo laid
off 60% of its employees.
The fair’s cancellation was
hard on other groups, too.
Lynn Schmitt-McQuitty, state-
wide 4-H director, said Cal-
ifornia saw a 40% drop in
4-H enrollment by Feb. 2021,
probably attributable in part to
canceled fairs.
“We’re very excited fairs
are reopening in 2021,” she
said.
By GEORGE PLAVEN
and SIERRA DAWN MCCLAIN
Capital Press
State fairs are making a
comeback in 2021 across the
West, though they may look a
bit diff erent than in years past.
The California State Fair
has been postponed for at least
two months as the state contin-
ues to use the fairgrounds in
Sacramento as a COVID-19
vaccination site. Planning for
Oregon’s state fair is under-
way — subject to COVID-19
guidelines released by the state
Health Authority.
In Washington, the state
fair is expected to return in
September, though organiz-
ers continue to take their cues
on reopening from Gov. Jay
Inslee.
Idaho has not one, but
three state fairs, all of which
are planning to welcome back
visitors with a full lineup of
events and entertainment.
Individual counties will
decide whether to hold county
fairs. Experts say most coun-
ties are planning fairs or have
already hosted them, but some
have been canceled.
Oregon
As of May 11, the Oregon
State Fair in Salem is sched-
uled for Aug. 27 through Sept.
6, though an offi cial announce-
ment will be made in June.
How exactly the event will
diff er from past years, how-
ever, remains to be seen.
“We are following the state
mandates and will augment
any plans based on the Ore-
gon Health Authority’s rec-
ommendations,” said Kim
Grewe-Powell, CEO of the
Oregon State Fair. “We are still
assessing the needs, and will
follow the OHA mandates.”
While light on specifi c
details, Grewe-Powell said
they will increase cleaning
and sanitation practices at
the fair in 2021, and will fol-
California
Cal Expo, home of the Cal-
ifornia State Fair, announced
May 5 the fairgrounds will
remain a COVID-19 “vaccina-
tion super site” until at least the
end of September. That means
the state fair — originally set
for July — will be postponed.
Fair coordinators have not yet
picked a date.
Board members say the
fair will follow state safety
guidelines and may be
ton state 4-H program leader,
said she’s “defi nitely” seeing
a spike in 4-H enrollments this
spring.
“I think the kids are really
excited,” she said.
Idaho
Courtesy of Cal Expo
California State Fair pre-COVID. Though state fairs are
returning, they will be diff erent, organizers say.
low other mandates as OHA
recommends.
Attendance at the Ore-
gon State Fair has been more
than 250,000 people in recent
years. The fair supports 883
jobs statewide — including
627 jobs in Marion County —
and $15.6 million in wages,
salary and benefi ts.
In a press conference on
May 11, Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown said she will lift most
statewide COVID-19 restric-
tions once 70% of residents 16
and older have received their
fi rst vaccination dose.
“Like last year’s All Ore-
gon E-Fair, we are planning for
contingencies,” Grewe-Powell
said.
Washington
The Washington State Fair
plans to welcome people back
Sept. 3-26.
Fair coordinators say they
are closely monitoring state
guidelines. Stacy Van Horne,
spokeswoman for Washing-
ton State Fair Events Center,
said every three weeks Gov.
Jay Inslee looks at the lat-
est COVID-19 statistics and
makes reopening decisions.
Pre-COVID, the Wash-
ington fair in Puyallup was
ranked among the 10 largest in
the U.S.
Jesse Taylor, executive
director of Washington FFA
Foundation, said he’s opti-
mistic the state fair will begin
to “resemble normalcy” again
this fall.
A smaller annual event,
called the Washington State
Spring Fair, took place in
April. Attendees from FFA
and other groups said the event
was fun, profi table and safe.
In 2021, Taylor said
he believes there will be a
renewed “thirst” for fairs and
FFA programs.
4-H leaders also expect
more enrollment.
Nancy Deringer, Washing-
Idaho is unique in that
it does not have one single
state fair, but three state fairs
divided by region — the West-
ern Idaho Fair in Boise, East-
ern Idaho State Fair in Black-
foot and North Idaho State Fair
in Coeur d’Alene.
All three events plan to
return in 2021.
Bob Batista, director of
Expo Idaho and the Western
Idaho Fair, said he has already
fi nished booking entertain-
ment for the 2021 fair, sched-
uled for Aug. 20-29.
“We’re going to do every-
thing we can to make this as
safe and comfortable as we
can, to some degree,” Batista
said.
In a normal year, Batista
said the fair brings in 250,000
people over 10 days. To avoid
overcrowding, he said orga-
nizers will spread out food and
commercial vendors around
the 247-acre fairgrounds.
Certain events like the
pie-eating contest will also be
canceled to avoid close inter-
actions. Batista said he is not
anticipating any limits on
capacity.
“My biggest concern
this year is going to be fi nd-
ing enough help,” he said.
“Employment is huge.”
The North Idaho State Fair,
held at the Kootenai County
Fairgrounds, is also scheduled
for Aug. 20-29. General Man-
ager Alexcia Jordan said they
are expanding from fi ve to 10
days, in part to avoid larger
crowds.
Planning this year’s fair has
been diffi cult, Jordan said, as
circumstances surrounding the
pandemic change from day
to day. The event does have a
COVID-19 action plan, which
was designed to be fl uid so
they can adapt when necessary.
For example, the action
plan currently limits seating
capacity in the grandstands to
50% for events like the rodeo,
demolition derby and concerts.
But Jordan said she expects
local restrictions will loosen
further by August.
“We’re very excited to
bring some sense of normalcy
back to our community,” she
said. “We’re just trying to
make sure it’s done well and
safely.”
According to its website,
the Eastern Idaho State Fair
will be Sept. 3-11. A daily
schedule of events will be pub-
lished in June.
Last year’s state fairs in
Idaho were limited gatherings,
dedicated solely to 4-H and
FFA shows and livestock sales.
Allen Taggart, 4-H exten-
sion specialist for Ada County,
said the feeling was “eerie,”
being in the mostly empty fair-
grounds without friends and
family.
Taggart said he is looking
forward to having state fairs
back in 2021, providing that
signature showcase for kids
and their projects.
“It’s all about building
those leadership skills and
those communication skills,”
he said.
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Proud Supporter of
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In early April, Idaho FFA came together virtually for the 90th Annual Idaho FFA State Convention.
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“While we wish we could’ve met in Twin Falls, this virtual format allowed Idaho members numerous
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especially loved seeing all the creative ways chapters came together to celebrate convention!”
The Troy FFA chapter was able to host a convention watch party for its members in their local Lion’s
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workshops and compete in numerous CDEs. The Troy Alumni Chapter even offered breakfast to FFA
members during the convention.
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While Troy FFA chose to stay local for state convention, the Deary FFA chapter booked hotel rooms
for its members in Lewiston. During their stay they were not only able to enjoy convention but also
spend quality time with their fellow chapter members. 
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