DECADES AGO, AS A YOUNG newspaper reporter, I covered county fairs. I’d grab my notebook and my camera and head to the fairgrounds. One particular summer, I was assigned to photograph 4-H kids and their animals at the Brown County Free Fair in New Ulm while working for The Sleepy Eye Herald-Dispatch. I spent days tracking down youth and photographing them with their prize livestock. Pigs. Cows. Sheep. Horses. Chickens. Try getting animals to cooperate for a photo shoot. Not easy. The experience left me so exhausted and fair-weary that I lost all interest in county fairs.
Ever since, I’ve seldom attended a county fair. But I recognize most people love fairs, including the Rice County Fair here in Faribault. They enjoy the food, the carnival rides, the entertainment, the exhibits and, yes, even all those penned animals hauled to town by 4-H families.
Last summer, COVID-19 canceled our fair. And most other fairs, including The Minnesota State Fair, aka The Great Minnesota Get-Together. This summer, from small town Minnesota to the metro, officials hope to host fairs. In Rice County, the fair board tentatively plans for a July 21-25 fair. Whether that happens will depend on the pandemic and state restrictions on gatherings.
I’m all for putting health and safety first. This pandemic is far from over with cases of the virus surging. I recognize the weariness folks are feeling, but don’t accept that as an excuse for behavior that is increasing the spread. If people want to enjoy BINGO and beer, cheese curds and carnival rides, art and animals, and so much more at the fair, then they need to intentionally choose to help stop the spread of COVID. Mask up. Properly. Social distance. Stay home when feeling unwell. Get vaccinated.
On a recent afternoon, Randy and I walked the Rice County Fairgrounds, just to have a different place to explore away from people. The emptiness of the space, without distracting crowds, exposes much. I observed that many of the aging buildings need upkeep, especially paint.
I’m sure fair-goers will appreciate one new addition—the construction of public restrooms.
I often wonder why the fairgrounds aren’t used more, especially the grandstand. That said, the Cannon Valley Farmers’ Market sets up occasionally at the fairgrounds in Faribault. Car shows and food trucks have also used the grounds. In a year when spread of the virus remains an ongoing concern, this vast outdoor space offers options to indoor gatherings.
Whether the Rice County Fair happens in July remains unknown. It’s really up to us to follow public health and safety mandates/guidelines and to choose vaccination. We’re not powerless. We have the ability to control our behavior, to think beyond ourselves to the public good. To make the fair happen in 2021.
FYI: Rice County is lagging in vaccinations. According to Rice County Public Health April 16 data, 41.7 percent of county residents ages 16 and above have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. That compares to 52 percent statewide. We can do better.
© Copyright 2021 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Please check back for more Rice County Fairgrounds photos.
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
I especially like the sign on the Conservation Building.
It is artsy in a vintage, historic way.
To see those buildings standing empty seems so sad to me. Just another testament to the awful times we are living. Nice piece Audrey.
Most of the buildings on the fairgrounds stand empty year-round, except during the week of the fair. There’s only occasional usage.
Good points, Audrey. Just like President Biden said, we can celebrate July 4th this year in small gatherings. IF we do our part. I hope your post motivates more people to get vaccinated, to wear masks and social distance awhile longer.
IF we do our part is exactly what’s needed. I felt frustration again this weekend when I walked into the post office to see a half-masking clerk, a half-masking customer and two men without masks. The post office lobby is a small space. Even though I am now fully-vaccinated, I could not get out of there fast enough. Same thing at the grocery store with non-maskers and half-maskers. And in the bank lobby. I could go on and on. This pandemic is not over yet.
Hi. As a data junkie, I do want to clarify that Rice County is actually doing slightly better than the rest of the state on vaccination rates. The 41.9% rate on the Rice County site is comparing to total population, where the 52% state data is based on population 16+. Statewide rates of at least one dose based on total population is 41.2%. https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/data/index.jsp is where you can look at all the data. Cook County in far NE is doing best. We all need to take a lesson from them.
-Jocelyn
Thanks for that clarification, Jocelyn. All the data can be confusing. I just looked at the data site you reference. As I understand the stats, Rice County is currently at the same vaccination rate as the state, at 52 percent. That is what I see in choosing the “16+” comparison. I recognize those numbers change daily. I wonder why some counties are doing so much better than others in vaccination rates.
I’m also curious to know what is driving the numbers in some locations. We’ve been to Cook County twice in the last year, and they are very serious about COVID precautions. They have the lowest total case rate in the state (3x lower then then next best county) with only 146 confirmed cases TOTAL and ZERO deaths. Not having an ICU bed within 100 miles may play in role in the strong defenses. They make an interesting case study for certain, as they had high levels of tourists this summer and fall.
Those numbers are impressive. Maybe some day we will get answers to our questions. Congrats to the good people of Cook County for doing such an amazing job in dealing with COVID and helping to keep locals and tourists safe.
I too wonder why fairgrounds aren’t used more. I’m guessing local fair boards make the decisions. It’s a lot of real estate to not be used. There are some exceptions as you mentioned. Another example is Murray County’s fairgounds. It is used for the usual car races but also a major draft horse in July, a regional dairy show prior to the fair in August, an autumn boutique after Labor Day and then Hospice has a massive rummage sale using lots of the buildings. There may be some other uses. Some fairgrounds also are used for storage during the winter months. But still…underused for sure. Let’s hope the fairs and all of these events can go on safely IF we all follow the rules around covid.
Kudos to Murray County for opening its fairgrounds to so many other uses. Rice County also allows storage on its fairgrounds. But, for the most part, it’s a lot of unused real estate. And, yes, if fairs are to happen, people need to follow rules around COVID. That concerns me based on what I see now in Faribault with way too many people not masking or half-masking. This pandemic is not over.
Another fun post focusing on an institution that I hope can be held safely again soon.
Time will tell if the fair happens this year.
Thanks for the bldg tour of a fairgrounds that’s changed so much since my time, I drive through and occasionally get to town during Fair, really like the RCHS displays. Miss the old grandstand, all those booths somewhere else I assume. County fairs are a surviving tradition in a time of so many other festivals competing, I think our State Fair prominence has helped. The daughters came up through the 4H ranks in Ramsey Cty, both spent several years at the State Fair in performing a tech arts. My youngest used it as a college credit. Ramsey is the only urban fair with animals, grounds are a half mile from me. Also have unannounced plans this year. Living “by the numbers” is getting really old and I don’t even know what Ramsey’s numbers are. As goes the metro, so do we. I think the DOT uses the grounds which are about half the size of Faribault and Owatonna. 4H Extension also has offices in the big display barn. We can only keep a good thought about this year. We finally have an appt for Como tomorrow!
Thanks for sharing your fair stories. And enjoy Como.