Henry County Fair 2020 to continue as a ‘non-public’ event

MT. PLEASANT - The Henry County Fair will continue this summer, but as a 'non-public” event.

The Fair's usual carnival, shows and community events have been postponed to 2021, the Fair Board announced in a release on Sunday. The annual event is scheduled for July 15 through July 20.

'The safety of our visitors, participants and community is the highest priority in producing the annual fair. After seeking guidance from Henry County Public Health and taking direction from Gov. Reynolds, it became clear that postponement of these events was the prudent choice for the fair to do its part in working to improve community health and safety and reduce the cycle of infection,” the statement read.

Though the fair will not be open to the public, Henry County has followed the direction of other county fairs and will continue with their 4-H Livestock Shows and Auctions, communication, clothing and static projects, as well as their Fair Queen Contest. The board said in the statement they will be making modifications to those events in order to address social distancing and sanitation measures recommended by public health, and is currently working on a list of 'strict guidelines” which will be made available through their Fair website and social media page.

'The Henry County Fair exists to strengthen Henry County and bring people together. We are dedicated to being part of our collective well-being and we will continue to work with local and national public health agencies and watch for any new developments around COVID-19 that would impact our operation, and make modifications accordingly. We look forward to when we can all gather in 2021,” Fair Board President, Andrea Wright, said in the statement.