South Central Reporter

With the fair season right around the corner for Illinois, event planners are keeping an eye on the COVID-19 situation. The fears are that the coronavirus pandemic will extend into the summer months which are the prime months for the fair season. The fairgrounds will remain empty this year if social distancing is extended.

So far, all public events on the state fairgrounds have been canceled through April 30, according to the Illinois government website. That corresponds to the stay-at-home order on April 1 that was extended through the end of the month by the governor.

If the fair season is canceled it will have a negative impact on the communities that hold them. There are several entertainment events and vendors that will have to be canceled, according to The Telegraph.

The Macoupin County Fair is scheduled as one of the first fairs in Illinois for the 2020 fair season. The Macoupin County Fair will also be the first to be canceled if the coronavirus  orders are prolonged and social distancing is still in order.

“We hope and anticipate that the pandemic and outbreak will be under control and that it will not affect the 2020 Macoupin County Fair,” said Macoupin County Fair Board President Kim Carney Rhodes as reported by The Telegraph. “We already have everything booked.”

A large crowd is expected to gather at the fair on June 11 at the grandstand in Macoupin County. Country singer Riley Green signed up to perform and was anticipated to draw a massive gathering. Green was expected to perform in March but decided to push it back due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the orders in place for social distancing. So far, Green has not made any other announcements on the postponement of any future 2020 shows. 

Due to the orders that meetings can only involve 10 people or less, the Macoupin County Fair Board has had to cancel all meetings. 

“All of this has come since our last board meeting and we have not yet been able to meet to discuss it,” Carney Rhodes said, reported by The Telegraph. “And our April meeting is contingent on whatever the COVID guidelines are at that point.”

Many of the fair's sponsors have been impacted by coronavirus and it's unclear if this will affect the bottom line as it is too early to tell, Rhodes said.