THE LAND — APRIL 2/APRIL 9, 2021
www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
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Covid and the Clay County Fair: Rising from the ashes Jeremy Parsons looked out the window fair staff members wiped away tears, and into the gray skies on the other side. His most everyone began a grieving process. expression told the story his staff and “Surreal” was the word of the day, and extended members of his board of direcemotions ran the gamut. tors were waiting to hear. The air was It was like the fair had died. thick with wonder … and trepidation. “This hasn’t happened since the days of The worst of it was over for Parsons, WWII,” said the board chairman. “Covidwho manages the Clay County Fair in 19 is our war.” Spencer. Dubbed the “World’s Greatest Board members had met for weeks before TABLE TALK County Fair,” the Clay County Fair drew this announcement, gathering input, sharan annual attendance of more than By Karen Schwaller ing thoughts, and imagining the world 300,000. Parsons and his executive board with no Clay County Fair. The facts were had made the decision to postpone the hard to ignore. There would be serious 2020 fair because of a global pandemic. financial fallout … for the fair itself, for the city and Now, with a heavy heart, he had to tell the world. county, local and area businesses, and for the busiBoard members and staff filed into the room quinesses who would have set up shop at the fair — etly; maybe a little nervously. All had shared input depending on it for some solid income. And for others in some form to help Parsons and his executive depending on fair income, too. board decide what to do. People — both paid and unpaid — were afraid to Finally, the chairman of the board stood up, come and do the work of the fair for fear of contractParsons seated next to him, and began to read a ing Covid-19. Who would make sure all of the public scripted announcement, so as to be very clear. But health and CDC guidelines were being followed in his emotions would swallow him before he could say every building and all throughout the fairgrounds? the words; and that told those in the room all they The cost of the extra sanitation procedures alone needed to know. was staggering to a county fair budget … and there were so many other uncertainties. The fair seemed An eerie silence filled the room before Parsons to be crumbling all around them. took over, himself among those grieving a decision they never imagined having to make. The announceBoard members wondered if, once public health ment seemed surreal even to Parsons, who has been procedures were put into place, people would recogin the fair industry literally all of his life. nize the fair as they knew it. Would it live up to its name as the “World’s Greatest County Fair?” Would A glance around the room mirrored the value of people return? Would first-time attendees ever come the fair in the eyes of those who sweat and toil all year to make it happen. The eyes of board members back? How much financial risk was the fair board were fixed on Parsons and what he had to say. Paid willing to take if attendance numbers were low? Its
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very foundation seemed shaky at best. To have no fair in 2020 would be unprecedented — almost unthinkable. But they had to think about it. At the meeting of the 10-member executive committee, when the decision was made to postpone the fair, Parsons found and read the minutes from the fair board meeting of the 1940s WWII era, which was the last time the fair had been called off. It was a world war that stopped the fair then; this time it was a microscopic virus. But the result was the same. 2020 revealed the great value of the Clay County Fair as individuals and businesses rallied around the “Save the Fair” campaign. And they did so with good reason. The fair is a living, breathing entity, and the thought of that fair with no pulse was unimaginable. The people said farewell to the long-standing chuckwagon races at the 2019 Clay County Fair, then the 2020 edition was postponed altogether. The difference is, the chuckwagon races entered quietly into the annals of fair history forever. But the fair itself will rise from the ashes of 2020 and return stronger than before. We know now as a people that nothing is a ‘given.’ Not even the Clay County Fair. But taking it for granted is one more thing that 2020 took away from us. And we are grateful. Karen Schwaller brings “Table Talk” to The Land from her home near Milford, Iowa. She can be reached at kschwaller@evertek.net. v
