Overton County Fair Cancelled

The Overton County fair has been cancelled.

Fair Board Treasurer Donita Wilson said the board waited to the last possible moment to cancel this year’s event. She said there were too many factors working against having a good fair.

“Ever since all this started in March we started talking about ‘what if, what if, what if?’, ” Wilson said. “Of course, we put it off to the very last minute because it not only affects us, it affects the community economically; it affects the community as far as something to do because we’re biggest draw event in the county each year.”

The Overton County Fair was scheduled to run July 16-26 in Livingston. Wilson said the decision was a difficult one for the Fair Board.

“We are very brokenhearted, sad, and disappointed,” Wilson said. “But, then, at the same time, there is a relief involved to know we’re not going to take a chance on making someone ill. Or not having a top-notch fair and not give the community back what they want.”

One concern Wilson said she has is for the area merchants and civic groups. She said they depend on the fair to display their products and raise money.

“Our hearts go out to the vendors and the ones who do ads in our Fair Book,” Wilson said. “The volunteer fire department that does food in their booth, and everybody that works with us. We couldn’t make it without our great volunteers. Our heart breaks for them, but we felt like we still made the best decision we could given what we had to work with.”

Although the fair has been cancelled, Wilson said the Fair Board is still making plans. She said if conditions improve, the board will try to have some activities this fall.

“As soon as we feel like we can safely start doing it, and we’re already looking at it and making plans,” Wison said. “And as soon as we feel like we can safely do it, we’re going to reach out to those people who will put on those events and see what dates they can do it. If we can work it out, we are very open to the idea of having something in the fall.”

Wilson said the Fair Board is not yet in a position to release any information or dates any events might happen later in the year. She said a many of those decisions will continue to be based on state guidelines.