Officials hope the Boulder County Fair might be able to stretch its legs a little bit this year after chafing under restrictions brought about by COVID-19.
There are even aspirations the 152-year-old edition could get back to the good-old days in 2021 with concerts, food vendors and an in-person rodeo.
Fair Board member Rick Koopman wishes for that day. His common-sense tells him, however, pandemic restrictions will still be clamped on by the time the fair rolls around in August.
“A full blown fair would be nice,” Koopman said. “But logically it doesn’t seem likely we will be able to go that route. Late summer is before we will get anything near herd immunity and it will take that to let us open full bore.”
Officials are planning on a phased approach to fair shows and activities this year, very similar to last year’s event, but with some leeway, Melanie Bohren, Fair Board president, said via email.
Last year, the general public was barred from seeing exhibits and there was no carnival, rodeo or demolition derby, all canceled due to COVID restrictions, Bohren said. The fair became exhibitor-only for 4-H and FFA youth so they could show their livestock and general projects and meet their exhibition requirements.
Only groups of 10 or less were allowed in any given area, which usually included a judge, a Cooperative Extension agent, and a few volunteers along with the exhibitors, Bohren said. “However, between offering these limited shows for almost every livestock species, as well as virtual exhibit opportunities and interviews over Zoom, we were able to support over 350 youth last year,” she said.
This year’s challenge is that the fair has no revenue stream because there were no sales from last year, Bohren said. There also is no staff this year, as longtime Fair Manager Laura Boldt retired at the end of 2020.
A Phase 1 approach favored by the Fair Board for this year’s event will be exhibitor-only but expanded with an in-person show for all, Bohren said. “Phase 1 can scale up or down to accommodate whatever COVID-19 restrictions are in place at the time,” she said.
“While I am hopeful that we can support 100 people or more per day, we are able to be flexible and create smaller classes and shows, and also move some projects to a virtual approach if necessary,” Bohren said.
Once the fairgrounds open back up to public events, officials will move the fair to Phase 2 and beyond to scale up to allow the public in and add attractions such as the carnival, vendors and ticketed events, she said.
“We will be working closely with Boulder County Public Health to make sure we can meet whatever health-related requirements are in place at the time, so that may mean a gradual opening with limited attendance,” Bohren said.
The Boulder County Fair — started in 1869 — is an iconic event and was canceled only once for the polio outbreak in 1946, she said. People, even those who have never set foot on a farm, want the fair to return to its former self, Bohren said.
“The fair has an average attendance of close to 150,000 people each year and we can’t wait to be back and running with all of our fair favorites, from the animals to the carnival, fair food and grandstand events,” she said.
