With the bulk of the 2020 Houghton County Fair called off because of COVID-19 concerns, the Fair Board and the Livestock Committee have updated plans for some of the elements that will still take place.
On Friday, August 28th, youth livestock exhibitors that have pre-registered their hogs, beef steers and lambs will have their respective shows at 9 am, 11 am and 2 pm. The judging will take place in an outdoor setting with current measures regarding PPE and safe distancing in place. During the judging, the grand and reserve champions will be chosen and the sale order of the livestock auction will be determined. A nominal fee will be charged for admission to offset expenses.
The livestock auction will be held at a new time, 2 pm on Saturday, August 29th. The location of the auction, accessed from the north gate to the grounds, will be moved to a spacious outdoor area with plenty of room for bidders, families, and exhibitors to safe distance. This year’s 35 youth exhibitors purchased their market animals last fall (beef) or this spring (hogs and lambs) and have invested time and resources into raising a quality product for businesses or individuals in our community to purchase.
As earlier reported, Skerbeck Entertainment Group is bringing their food concessions for a socially-distanced safe “drive through” that will be open on Thursday, August 27th, through Sunday, August 30th, from 11 am to 7 pm each day. Customers will stay in their vehicles. An attendant will provide customers with a printed menu for food selections with one cashier for all food concessions. “Car hops” will organize customer selections on one tray, delivering food back to the vehicle. All Skerbeck employees will be screened daily to ensure they are COVID symptom-free and wear personal protective equipment including face masks and gloves. Skerbeck encourages drive-through customers also to wear face masks during their limited interactions with their employees as well to keep them safe. Food items will include elephant ears, funnel cakes, deep fried oreos, lemonade, corn dogs, sausage, fries, chicken strips, cotton candy, caramel apples, slushies, and more. Menu items vary in price from $3 to $10.
For more information about plans for this year’s remaining fair events, email houghtoncountyfair@hotmail.com or call 482-6200.