Upcoming events — Are they happening?
MOSES LAKE — As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the lives of Americans, event planners are taking a hard look at upcoming events and making tough decisions about whether to hold their event or not.
Below is a listing of August and September events that are being affected. As things continue to progress with COVID-19, more events could be canceled to prevent further spread. This list is meant to be used as a guide, not an authoritative source. For the most up-to-date information on these and other events, please visit their web pages.
Yakima Valley Fair and Rodeo — canceled
Aug. 5-8, 2020
The Yakima Valley Fair and Rodeo has been canceled. The announcement was made on the fair’s website.
“Yakima Valley Fair & Rodeo planned to be a fun event at the end of summer,” stated the website. “Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are sorry to cancel this year’s events, but we hope you’ll join us again next year for the livestock show, fair, & PRCA rodeo!”
For more information, visit yvfair-rodeo.org.
Valley Community Fair — canceled
August 7-8, 2020
This year’s Valley Community Fair has been canceled. The announcement was made on social media on June 4. This is the first time since the fair started in 1932 that it has been canceled.
“The 2020 Valley Community Fair would have been the 88th fair in our long and rich history,” said Theresa Carr, Valley Community Fair Representative in a post. “Until very recently, we held out the hope that we could still produce the best possible fair to educate and entertain our guests. Public health and safety have always been, and will always be, our top priority. In addition to our guests, we have a responsibility to provide a safe experience for our volunteers, sponsors, vendors, entertainers, animals, and the entire community.”
Next year’s fair has been scheduled for Aug. 13 and 14, 2021. For more information, visit the Valley Community Fair’s Facebook page.
Okanogan Stampede — canceled
Aug. 13-16, 2020
For the first time in 87 years, the Omak Stampede will not be held.
“Our hearts are heavy with the immense decision, but we also realize it is more important that we plan for many years to come, not just this year,” said the stampede stakeholders in a press release on their website. “At this time, our facilities are closed to the public and travelers as well. We take great pride in allowing the facility to be used for barrel clubs, Jr and high school rodeos and to the overnight travelers that need to house their animals. It is unfortunate that we cannot provide this service as well.”
To get more information, visit omakstampede.org or check the Facebook page.
Hunters Community and 4-H Club Fair — canceled
Aug. 15, 2020
The Hunters Community and 4-H Club Fair is canceled for this year. The announcement was made on May 28, on the group’s social media.
Pioneer Power Show and Swap Meet — canceled
Aug. 15-16, 2020
Going virtual Aug. 1-16, 2020
The Central Washington Agricultural Museum, in Union Gap, has canceled the in-person Pioneer Power Show and Swap Meet. The event was scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 15 and 16.
On July 17, the museum announced on social media that it would be holding a virtual show. More information about the online event will be available July 31.
The next scheduled event is the Agri-Copia, formerly known as Plowing Bee and Horse Spectacular, set for Oct. 10 and 11. To learn more, visit centralwaagmuseum.org or the Central Washington Agricultural Museum Facebook page.
Grant County Fair — canceled
Moses Lake Roundup — canceled
Aug. 18-22, 2020
The Grant County Fair announced on social media on May 27 that this year’s fair has been canceled.
“We put quite a bit of planning into this year’s fair and had some great entertainment lined up,” said Jim McKiernan, the fairgrounds director, in the announcement. “But the regulations for reopening and the health district requirements made the fair financially unfeasible.”
McKiernan said that the health district would not allow the carnival to proceed. It was also not possible to hold large concerts with adequate social distancing.
Fair staff is still hoping to hold some form of livestock show for the students who have been raising animals.
To learn more, visit gcfairgrounds.com or the Grant County Fairgrounds Facebook page.
In addition to the fair being canceled, the annual Moses Lake Roundup rodeo has also been canceled. On the website, the Moses Lake Rodeo Association said that it understands that the cancellation of this and other rodeos is creating a hardship on those in the rodeo world who depend on rodeos for their livelihood.
The rodeo association is looking at the possibility of moving the 2020 Demo Derby to later in the fall. The 2021 rodeo and demo derby are scheduled for Aug. 18-21. To learn more, visit moseslakeroundup.com.
National Lentil Festival — rescheduled for 2021
Aug. 21-22, 2020
The 32nd annual National Lentil Festival has been rescheduled to Aug. 20 and 21, 2021. The festival website stated that the decision to postpone was difficult, but that the safety and health of the community was the top priority.
A few events associated with the Lentil Festival will still be held, but in modified form. To learn more, visit lentilfest.com.
Klickitat County Fair and Rodeo — canceled
Aug. 20-23, 2020
On June 16, the Klickitat County Fair and Rodeo announced on social media that the 2020 fair was canceled. In the post, the fair board said that it felt that it was in the best interest of everyone involved to cancel and protect their health and safety. The board is looking forward to the 2021 fair.
Clayton Community Fair — canceled
Aug. 21-23, 2020
The Clayton Community Fair Board announced that the Clayton Community Fair was canceled on the event’s website.
“It is with great sadness and deepest regrets that we are canceling the 2020 Clayton Community Fair and Livestock Sale due to COVID-19. This decision was not easy to come to but it is what we needed to do to keep our kids and their families safe. If you have already sent in your fair entry we will be sending you a refund,” the board wrote on the website.
The Clayton Pro West Rodeo that accompanies the fair has also been canceled.
To learn more, visit claytoncommunityfair.com.
Benton-Franklin Fair & Rodeo — canceled
Aug. 25-29, 2020
The Benton-Franklin Fair & Rodeo announced on June 11 on social media page that the 2020 fair and rodeo were canceled.
“We are feeling all the same things you are,” said the fair board in the post. “Sad. Frustrated. Disappointed. Heartbroken. We know this has a big impact on hundreds of businesses and thousands of people. The fair is a platform for small businesses and entrepreneurs, service groups and nonprofits, school groups and young people, artists, entertainers and agriculturists and many, many more.”
The 2021 Benton-Franklin Fair & Rodeo will be held on Aug. 24-28, 2021.
North Central Washington Fair — canceled
Aug. 27-20, 2020
The North Central Washington Fair has announced that it has had to cancel the 2020 fair. In the announcement on the fair’s website, the fair manager and fair board cited elderly volunteers, the inability to check temperatures at the gate and issues with social distancing as some of the reasons for canceling the fair.
“As we navigate through this strange summer we hope you all find ways to get involved in agriculture,” wrote the fair manager and board on the website.”Grow vegetables in your garden with your kids and then have a farm-to-table meal showing them just where their food came from. We hope you paint, craft and teach your grandkids to sew or can those cucumbers you grew and turn them into pickles. We hope that you play outside, splash in the water and take this time to truly be together with those who matter most. We know we will be hard at work planning and preparing to come back bigger, better, stronger than ever before. The dedication of the hundreds of youth who are raising animals this year has not been forgotten.”
To learn more, visit ncwfair.org.
Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days — canceled
Sept. 2-6, 2020
On June 8, the Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days social media announced that this year’s event was being canceled.
“We are disappointed and saddened to miss our 154th Fair & Frontier Days and know many others will be as well, but we understand the many variables right now,” said the announcement.
Next year’s fair has been scheduled for Sept. 1-5, 2021. To learn more, visit wallawallafairgrounds.com.
Kittitas County Fair and Rodeo — canceled
Sept. 3-7, 2020
The Kittitas County Fair Board of Directors announced on July 17 via social media that because of the governor’s recent orders to limit gatherings to 10 people, the Kittitas County Fair would not be able to proceed.
“It is with great sadness we report there will be no in-person Kittitas County Fair for 2020, however; we are working on some virtual opportunities with details to come,” said the fair board in a post.
The fair board is working on virtual options for both vendors and 4H and FFA livestock members. For further information, visit the Kittitas County Fair Facebook page or kittitasvalleyeventcenter.com.
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair — undecided
Sept. 3-5, 2020
The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair board has not announced if the fair will be continuing as planned or not. In a June 10 post to social media, the board said that it is planning to hold the livestock show and market sale on Saturday, Sept. 5.
To learn more, visiting the Wheat Land Communities’ Fair Facebook page.
Ellensburg Rodeo — canceled
Sept. 4-7, 2020
The Ellensburg Rodeo has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to information on the rodeo’s website.
“This has been an incredibly difficult decision made by the Board of Directors,” stated the website. “We are putting the health and safety of our fans, volunteers, contestants, first responders, healthcare workers and everyone in our community first.”
Next year’s rodeo is scheduled for Sept. 3-6, 2021. To learn more, visit ellensburgrodeo.com.
Washington State Fair — canceled
Sept. 4-27, 2020
The Washington State Fair, in Puyallup, has been canceled.
“The Washington State Fair has featured the best of our state for the past 120 years,” said the fair’s website. “We have met the challenges of fires and floods, withstood changes in culture and the challenges of time and, except for the four years of World War II, operated uninterrupted that entire span.”
The statement said that the decision to cancel the fair was a difficult one,
“We realize this action will have severe impacts, both emotionally and financially, on all of our partners,” said the statement. “We know that not having a fair this year creates a hardship for many, but people are the most important component in the incredibly complex equation of what makes up our fair. Health and safety are our greatest concerns.”
To learn more, visit thefair.com.
Spokane Garden Expo — continuing as rescheduled
Rescheduled date — Sept. 5, 2020
The Spokane Garden Expo has been rescheduled from May to Sept. 5. It will be held at Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On the website of The Inland Empire Gardeners, organizers for the garden expo, it says that the group is monitoring the COVID-19 situation and hoping “for the best.”
Ciscoe Morris, author of the new book, “Oh, La La!: Homegrown Stories, Helpful Tips, and Garden Wisdom,” will be attending the expo.
For more information, visit tieg.org.
Chelan County Fair — postponed
Sept. 10-13, 2020
The Chelan County Fair announced on social media on June 11 that the fair had been postponed to 2021.
“The fair board, fair staff and Chelan County Commissioners have worked very hard to try and make this year’s fair work,” said the announcement. “All possible avenues or changes were explored but none could meet the requirements outlined in Washington’s ‘Safe Start’ reopening plan. With Chelan County only just now getting into a 1.5 phase it became obvious that our county may not even move to Phase 4 until after our fair. We want you to know that this decision was a very difficult one to make and wasn’t taken lightly.”
The fair is hoping to still have some form of livestock sale. Details about the sale will be on the Chelan County Fair Facebook page or on their website at chelancountyfair.com.
Columbia Basin Junior Livestock Show — going virtual
Sept. 12, 2020
On July 17, the Columbia Basin Junior Livestock Show announced via social media that the show was being restructured and would be held virtually.
To find out more information about buying and selling at the show, visit cbjls.org.
Okanogan County Fair — canceled
Sept. 10-13, 2020
On July 1, the Okanogan Board of the County Commissioners announced that the 2020 Okanogan County Fair was canceled. The fair committee is looking into holding a livestock auction and virtual fair.
“Your continued support is appreciated as we make the most of 2020 and forge on with planning to make the Okanogan County Fair 2021 the best yet,” concluded the announcement.
To learn more, visit the Okanogan County Fair Facebook page.
Palouse Empire Fair — canceled
Sept. 10-13, 2020
The Whitman County Board of Commissioners announced on June 15 in a press release that this year’s Palouse County Fair was canceled.
“It is heartbreaking to make this announcement,” said Janel Goebel, fair manager, in the press release. “Whitman County residents should be proud of the representation they have with the 12 fair board members. The decision to recommend canceling was not easy nor quickly reached. Public health and safety will always be our priority.”
To learn more, visit palouseempirefair.org.
Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day — canceled
Sept. 11-13, 2020
On June 16, the Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day board of directors announced on social media that this year’s event was being canceled.
“It was a pretty sad meeting,” said board president Wyman Duggan. “No one wanted to do it, but we felt we had to let the community know. There are too many things in order to make it work that have to be done ahead of time. The uncertainty was the big thing.”
To learn more, visit the Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day Facebook page.
Spokane County Interstate Fair — going virtual
Sept. 11-20, 2020
On June 10, it was announced via press release that the Spokane County Interstate Fair was being reformatted.
“We have been cautiously optimistic as we proceeded with the planning for this year’s fair,” said Advisory Board Chair Craig Opsal in the release. “But with the unknown related to COVID-19, it was too big of a challenge and risk to continue planning for a normal fair. This decision was the hardest we’ve ever had to make.”
The fair will be held virtually with both vendors and a livestock show. To learn more, visit interstatefair.org or the fair’s Facebook page.
Othello Fair — undecided
Sept. 16-19, 2020
On July 1, the Othello Fair announced on social media that a final decision regarding the fair would be made between Aug. 5 and 7. To learn more, visit othellofair.org or the Othello Fair Facebook page.
Othello PRCA Rodeo — canceled
Sept. 16-19, 2020
The Othello PRCA Rodeo, held in conjunction with the Othello Fair, has announced on its website that the rodeo will not be held in 2020. To learn more, visit othellorodeo.com.
Southeast Spokane County Fair — canceled
Sept. 25-27, 2020
On June 16, the board of the Southeast Spokane County Fair voted to cancel the fair. The board determined that it was unlikely that Spokane County would reach Phase 4 in time to have a normal fair.
To learn more, visit sespokanecountyfair.com.
Central Washington State Fair — canceled
Sept. 24-Oct. 4, 2020
This year’s Central Washington State Fair has been canceled.
“It was with a heavy heart the Central Washington Fair Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to cancel the 2020 Central Washington State Fair,” stated an announcement on the fair’s website. “We know the board absolutely made the right choice, the only choice, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less.”
To learn more, visit fairfun.com.
Rachal Pinkerton may be reached via email at rpinkerton@basinbusinessjournal.com.