Othello Fair canceled for 2020

OTHELLO — The Othello Fair, originally scheduled for Sept. 16-19, has been canceled. Fair officials announced the cancellation Aug. 5.

The annual demolition derby, sponsored by the Othello Rodeo Association and held during fair week, was canceled Aug. 5.

“We’ve pretty well decided we’re not going to be able to do the (demolition derby) either,” rodeo association president Kenneth Dockins said Wednesday.

Rodeo association officials announced July 13 that the rodeo was canceled.

Roy Dodge, one of the fair directors, said fair officials are trying to organize a livestock sale for the week of Sept. 14. Dodge said details will be announced as they become available.

The Othello Fair was one of many events statewide canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Severe restrictions were placed on movement, business and events in an effort to combat the outbreak, with events like the fair prohibited until late in the state’s phased process of reopening. Currently, Adams County is in Phase 2, and the reopening plan has been put on hold statewide. Even if counties were allowed to move to later phases, they must meet the metrics for a specified amount of time.

“We had to be in Phase 4 to have the fair,” Dodge said. “We don’t have time to get to where we need to be in order to have the fair.”

Due to the uncertainty over whether the fair would be held, fair organizers had not been accepting exhibitor registration fees. Vendor fees and camping fees were accepted and will be refunded.

The rodeo association also sponsors a corn maze each October, and as of Wednesday that was still going ahead, Dockins said. In fact, rodeo officials are hoping to expand it. Normally it is open the last two weekends in October, but Dockins said the plan is to open it every weekend in October.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].