“Haven’t said ‘no’ to anything yet”

Is there going to be a Rockdale Fair in COVID-19-ravaged 2020?

Perhaps a better questions might b e : “ H o w much of a R o c k d a l e Fair is there going to be in COVID-19-ravaged 2020?

This week marks exactly three months until the scheduled Oct. 10-17 Fair with its big day set for Oct. 17 at Fair Park.

“We haven’t said ‘no’ to anything yet,” Johnny Hill, Rockdale Fair Association president, told The Reporter.

“But we know the (RFA) board has some big decisions to make in the next few weeks,” he said.

Livestock show weigh-ins, taggings and animal purchases have continued this spring and summer as virus positive tests began as a novelty, then a trickle and now a deluge in Milam County. The last animal tag-in was held Saturday at Fair Park (see photo).

SHOW, SALE—T h e annual youth livestock show and sale remains foremost in the minds of Fair organizers.

“That’s really what we are focused on, if we end up not having some, or many, of the traditional events,” Hill said. “We want to do this for all those kids who have been taking care of animals. Of course the major shows, and the Milam County Junior Livestock Show in Cameron, were canceled back in the spring.”

Hill said he thinks the livestock show could still be held and maintain social distancing guidelines.

“First it’s outdoors,” he said. “Hopefully we could find a way to separate everyone by such a distance it would lessen the possibility of infection.”

Hill said the cancellation of the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, which is held during the month of October, has brought a heightened sense of awareness in the Rockdale community that the 2020 Rockdale Fair appears in jeopardy.

“After that State Fair cancellation happened, my phone started ringing big time,” he said.

“As I understand it, though, the state fair is still going to try and work out something for the kids to show their animals,” he said. “It’s our hope, three months out, we can work out something like that here.”

CROWDS—At the three-month-out mark, the outlook isn’t quite as optimistic for some of the Fair’s other iconic events.

“We understand about the problems with crowds, with people being close to each other, even outside,” Hill said. “That would impact quite a few of our events, like the rodeo and the concerts.”

Hill said contracts have not been finalized with headliners and other musical entertainment at the 2020 Fair.

“We just don’t have anything to report there, yet,” he said. For a number of weeks the Fair’s web page has carried a message saying information about the 2020 Fair’s lineup of events and musicians would be posted in September.

Numerous other events, especially those held indoors, could be impacted by the virus situation, including the Queen Pageant, barbecue cookoff, home economics and arts/ crafts sale.

“As the Fair gets closer we will obviously be having to make some big decisions,” Hill said. “Of course, best case scenario is that things get better. Sitting here in mid-July there’s no way we can know that.”

Hill said there will come a point when the Fair board will have to make those decisions and submit a plan for the 2020 Fair to the City of Rockdale for approval.

Fair Park is within the city limits and events there are governed by Rockdale ordinances.

The 2020 Fair would be No. 45. The Rockdale Fair began in 1976.

Last year the Fair’s various sales and auctions netted a record $717,925 for Milam County youth.

A number of other traditional fall events throughout the region have already been canceled, including Caldwell’s Kolache Fest and the Octoberfest in Fredericksburg.