Officials say canceling County Fair was right call

In a sudden turnabout, Ozaukee County Fair officials announced last week that the fair, which they said last month would be held as usual but in a limited fashion, will now be restricted to a few 4-H-related activities and not be open to the public due to rising concerns over the coronavirus. 

“The Fair Board met this week and decided to limit this year’s fair to the judging of 4-H and Open Class exhibits and holding the traditional livestock and small animal auctions,” a press release from the Ozaukee County Agricultural Society board of directors, which operates the fair, said. 

“Attendance will therefore be limited to those necessary events and will not be open to the public. We will not have food vendors or any shows that the public can attend.”

The decision came as the county experienced an uptick in the number of Covid-19 cases and the risk factor for further infection remains at a “high” level, according to the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department.

“It is with great frustration and regret that we will not be able to hold our traditional fair events, an event that we recognize would be of tremendous morale value to the Ozaukee County community, but prudence dictates otherwise under the circumstances,” the press release said.

In a telephone interview following the announcement, Fair Board President Mark Larson said health data had appeared to flatten or go down when the Fair Board made the decision to hold the fair, from July 29 through Aug. 2, but that trajectory changed in recent days.

“Things were looking positive for weeks and weeks. But late last week, the numbers changed from a positive trend to a negative trend and that continued this week,” he said.

County supervisors Tom Winker and Barb Jobs, both of whom have lifetime connections to the fair and 4-H, said they were pleased that 4-H activities will still be held.

“I feel very strongly that 4-H is a family event and is part of growing up and part of learning to be responsible,” Winker, whose three children showed livestock at the fair while growing up, said.

Winker said he isn’t concerned about other fair activities not being held.

“If you want to ride on rides, go down to Six Flags,” he said.

Jobs agreed.

“As far as the regular fair, the rides and all that, I think we can get along without that,” she said. “I’m really happy they’re doing the part for the 4-Hers. That’s the most important part. To take that way would have been very difficult.”

Jobs said canceling most fair activities “was a good decision. I don’t think there was too much choice.”

Jobs, whose family participated in 4-H for 14 years, called the 4-H experience “irreplaceable.”

“The other (fair activities) people can find other ways to do those things,” she said.

Larson said the reaction to the board’s decision to hold the fair was overwhelmingly positive, but some criticized the Fair Board because it went against the advice of public health officials, with county Supr. Alice Read calling the decision “irresponsible.”

Both Larson and Public Health Director Kirsten Johnson, however, said that despite the difference in opinion, fair organizers and health officials talked almost every day to plan the fair and institute safe practices.

Larson said fair officials also were in constant contact with officials from the county, City of Cedarburg and Cedarburg Fire Department, which owns Fireman’s Park adjacent to the county fairgrounds and which is rented by the fair.

Read said she was pleased with the Fair Board decision.

“I really commend the Fair Board for making the decision to prioritize the health and safety of our community,” she said. “It’s huge that we’re not having 6,000 people from the public” at the fair, which was the number at which fair officials said they would cap attendance. 

With fair activities limited to the “necessary events” of judging 4-H and Open Class exhibits and holding the traditional livestock and small animal auctions, Ozaukee County 4-H Program Director Jayna Hintz said her office will create a video honoring 4-H graduates and scholarship winners and showcase it and the exhibits in the Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Center building at the fairgrounds and on the 4-H website.