Oconto youth fair canceled

SHAWANO - The Oconto County Youth Fair board has been canceled for this year, the fair board announced on June 11.

In a letter released June 11, the fair board noted it had tried to stay positive and continue its preparations but added, “Our fair traditions and our youth are very important to us, but nothing is more important than the safety and health of every person that may join us at the Oconto County Youth Fair. That is our number one priority.”

The letter continued, “While we strive to provide an entertaining and educational event for people of all ages, we must do it in a safe and secure environment.”

The letter added the board’s decision was reached after communicating with Oconto County health officials, the Wisconsin Association of Fairs (WAF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), insurance companies, and officials from other fairs.

While the board acknowledged no one knows what the situation will be like at the scheduled time of the fair in August, it had to make a decision based on what it knew in the present.

The Oconto County event joins the ever-growing list of county and state cancellations. As of June 11, the WAF reported that 44 of its 75 member state, county and district fairs and four associate member events are canceled, postponed or modified. Among those listed are the Langlade, Winnebago, Outagamie county fairs and the Wisconsin Valley Fair in Wausau.

Information current as of June 12, 2020, at 10:30 a.m.