Carnival & Fair News

  On Wednesday, June 3, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott announced that the state of Texas would begin its third phase of reopening.  In the third phase, businesses are allowed to reopen at 50% capacity.  Specifically mentioned in the phased reopening are carnival and amusement parks which can begin reopening on June 3.Governor Abbott's official plan states "Amusement parks and carnivals shall operate at no more than 50 percent of the normal operating limits as determined by the owner, except that in counties with more than 1,000 cumulative cases of COVID-19, amusement parks may not begin operating until 12:01 a.m. on June 19, 2020;"The governor encourages the use of face coverings in a public setting and recommends those over the age of 65 to stay at home as much as possible.  "The people of Texas continue to prove that we can safely and responsibly open our state for business while containing COVID-19 and keeping our state safe,” said Governor Abbott. "As ...   [read more]

  On Thursday, June 4, the Indiana State Fair Commission and the Indiana State Fair Board announced a modified State Fair 4-H Livestock Show with additional activities that will be held on the State Fairgrounds in August. This year’s traditional Indiana State Fair will not take place. Ultimately, the difficult decision was driven by the impact of COVID-19.“Unfortunately, key elements including vendors and partners of the Fair began falling off and so we pivoted, and found a way to still serve our communities,” said Brad Chambers, Indiana State Fair Commission Chairman.“Safety is our number one priority. We’ve spent months working through options that would allow us to host the Fair,’ said Cindy Hoye, Executive Director of the Indiana State Fair Commission. “Agriculture and youth are the foundation of our mission and the heartbeat of the Indiana State Fair, so we are determined and proud to honor our 4-H members with a version of that State Fair ...   [read more]