MEDINA, Ohio — One week after the Medina Agricultural Society-Board of Directors voted to postpone the 175th Medina County Fair until 2021, organizers have reversed course, and the fair will be held in 2020 as originally scheduled.
The 175th Medina County Fair will take place from Aug. 3-9, 2020 at the Medina County Fairgrounds. The decision to hold the event came as a result of updated guidelines that were sent out by the state of Ohio earlier this week as part of its 'Responsible Restart Ohio' program for returning from COVID-19.
"Due to the revision and removal of several previous mandates, the Board voted to proceed with the 2020 Medina County Fair," Board President Chuck Stiver wrote in a letter posted on the fair's Facebook page. "We ask for the community's support as we work to maintain the traditions of the Medina County Fair, while continuing to meet the Restart Guidelines, as well as provide for the health and safety of exhibitors, concessionaires, and fairgoers."
One change that has already been announced by the Medina County Fair is the flower department and antique department are cancelled for 2020 but will return in 2021. You can read the state's updated fair guidelines here.
In late May, Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton stated that they strongly recommended that for the 2020 fair season, agricultural societies limit fairs to allow only for 4-H and FFA “Junior Fair” activities. However, if fair boards decided that they can safely host attractions, concessions, and exhibitors beyond Junior Fair activities, as long as they complied with the state's safety protocols the events would be allowed to happen.
"Decisions about county and independent fairs should be made locally because each county and independent fair is unique and has different challenges," DeWine said at the time.