Statewide Iowa — After last year’s pandemic-related cancellations, all of Iowa’s 100 county fairs are a go in 2021 — and five will be held this month.
Tom Barnes is executive director of the Association of Iowa Fairs.
Barnes says the curveball of last year’s pandemic prompted fair managers to improvise. For example, many staged competitions for the livestock 4-H and F-F-A members raised last year.
Barnes is also secretary of the Howard County Fair, which starts next week. Barnes says after years of emphasizing concerns about the spread of diseases among livestock, county fairs are being proactive about the human side as well.
The Wapello and Worth County fairs start this Wednesday, June 16th. The Linn, Jefferson, and Howard County Fairs begin on June 23rd. Iowa has 99 counties, but 100 county fairs since Pottawattamie County holds two — one in Council Bluffs and the other in Avoca.
In our area, the fairs start with the Sioux County Fair, July 12-15. The day after that one starts, the Osceola County Fair starts. It will run July 13-18. The very next day, the Lyon County fair begins, and will run July 19-22. Two days later, it will be time for the O’Brien County Fair, which will run July 24-29.
