By Jordon Bennett,
Fair Manager

Since the early 1900s, the Harney County Fair has been a time for the community to come together to celebrate the end of summer, the end of harvest, and kick off the new school year. We, as the members of the fair board and county court, are honored to be a part of this historical tradition.

The year 2020 has presented all of us with unexpected and seemingly insurmountable challenges. However, Harney County has embraced its history of overcoming obstacles, and in true fashion, has faced the challenges head-on, never looking back.

The county court and Harney County Fair Board are dedicated to continuing the traditions meshed within our annual fair, and this year will be no different.

More details will come out as plans are finalized, but in the interest of clear and concise dissemination of information, we wanted to give you a brief rundown of plans.

We are aware that local businesses have been hit the hardest by the pandemic and the state-issued stay at home order. Therefore, the Harney County Fair itself will not be soliciting any advertisement or sponsorship money. The ramifications of this decision are more than likely self-explanatory, but it is only fair to respect the businesses who have been such faithful supporters throughout the years. It is our goal to remain financially solvent while creating lasting memories for fair patrons.

Many of you may have received a mailer from the Frontier Wild Support Committee. They are directly involved with trying to revamp the Harney County Fair, but they are not directly associated with the county court or fair board.

Representatives of the Kids’ Play Day may ask for donations to help buy prizes for the children participating. The Kids’ Play Day is scheduled for Tuesday at noon. We have agreed to move the time slot to allow the growing 4-H horse clubs time to showcase their talents and hard work. Since the event is traditionally funded by kind donations from local businesses and community members, we cannot promise that the awards will be as flashy as the previous years. We can promise that the crew who organizes the event will do their best with funds received, and everyone will have a great time as always! More information and entry forms will be out as soon as possible.

One of the many other changes you will notice this year is the admissions process. Admission to the grounds will be by the car, with additional charges being incurred for occupancy surpassing six people. In an effort to work closely with the Harney County Health Department and emergency management agencies, the layout of the fair activities themselves will physically look different to ensure that we are complying with all large-group, social-gathering guidelines. The grounds stage, vendors, and family games will be spread out to allow proper social distancing.

Without sponsorship money, we are unable to put on a headline concert on Saturday night, which will create a new twist to the line-up of provided entertainment.

With regard to the arena activities, the Friday night local rodeo will remain the same. The fair board initiated moving the Saturday afternoon rodeo to a nighttime performance, and Sunday horse roping will take place early Saturday afternoon. It is important to note that, when Saturday night’s rodeo is concluded, so is the fair. While a specific time has not been set in stone, the 4-H Livestock Auction will be held Saturday afternoon. In order to enjoy events in the grandstands, there will be a day charge of $5 for anyone, age 6 and older.

After the disappointment of the carnival the last few years, we have taken family and children entertainment into our own hands. We will be offering good ol’ fashion family games, including bucking hay, egg toss, face painting, watermelon and hot dog eating contests, and much more.

A new venue that you will be sure to enjoy is the 8-Second Saloon and Hospitality Tent, which replaces the beer garden. It will serve up your favorite beverages. Plus, you will be able to get your feet stomping to the nightly music. A dance area for minors will be just outside the tent within earshot of the band or music.

Horse racing, originally scheduled for the end of July, has been canceled, but rest assured we are still planning to hold the Demolition Derby on Aug. 15, 2020. Seating for the derby will wrap around the arena to allow more social distancing room.

The fair books will not be printed this year due to the ever-changing guidelines and time constraints. Once complete, the fair book will be easily accessed online, and you can print the pages that you are interested in.

As we stated earlier, this year has been full of challenges, but we will overcome them, as we always have. Please know that we have been diligently collaborating with local health officials to do everything we can to keep everyone attending the fair as safe as possible. It is important to note that this is not an exhaustive list of changes, and other plans are still in the finalization stage.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Fair Office if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.

We are heading “Down a Country Road” in 2020, and it may be a bumpy road, but we hope you will continue to join us on the journey.

Thank you for your past, present, and future support of the Harney County Fair.