COVID-19 forces modifications to Cloud County Fair

Under normal circumstances Cole Stahlman would have several entries in the Cloud County Fair and spend up to 12 hours at the Fairgrounds each day.
These are not normal circumstances.
Stahlman, a member of the Hopewell Corners 4-H Club, was entering his four Jersey Giant chickens in the poultry division of the fair on Wednesday morning.
Aside from the four Jersey Giants that Stahlman has entered this year, his only fair entree was in photography.
“I backed off on projects this year,” Stahlman said, “It is a lot of work to bring a bunch of stuff in, and do a lot of work, and nobody is really going to see it.”
The county fair is yet another aspect of life that has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After consulting with the Cloud County Health Department and the Emergency Preparedness director, the Cloud County Fair board, along with Kansas State University Extension, made the decision in late June to host a 4-H/FFA fair only this year because of the pandemic.
The Open Class judging and all of the public events, including the carnival, that were to be hosted by the fair board were cancelled.
“We have to work around it to keep people safe, but at the same time, it is nice that we get to have a fair because I know some counties are not even having a fair,” Stahlman said, “So it is nice to have something, even if it is not what we are used to.”
With all that is missing from the fair this year, it is the people that Stahlman misses the most.
“I actually kind of miss the people. I miss everybody being out here,” Stahlman said, “Normally, fair week, I would be here from seven or eight in the morning until nine or 10 o'clock at night. Now, I will be here until this afternoon, and then I am going home. We are not here all of the time, and that is kind of fun to be around all of your friends.”
Pre-COVID-19, all of the animals to be entered in the fair would arrive on Wednesday morning to be checked by the veterinarian and would remain at the fairgrounds the rest of the week.
This year, entries are checked the morning that they will be judged, and then released once the judging is completed.
All of the animals are released to be taken home except those that will be part of the livestock auction on Friday night, those being taken to Duis Meat Processing or those being shipped out.
Stahlman has been raising his Jersey Giants to show at the fair for about two years. They were shipped in from Washington state.
Once Stahlman is done showing the chickens he will take them home.
“Normally they would stay all week,” Stahlman said.
This year has been anything but normal.