Spirit Lake, Iowa — Unlike some fairs that have been canceled due to the pandemic this year — the Dickinson County Fair in Spirit Lake will take place as scheduled, for the most part. But that’s a little misleading.
Other county fairs in our area, including the O’Brien, Sioux, Osceola, and Lyon County fairs have cut back their fair schedules to just 4-H and FFA activities this year, with some fairly large changes, even for the youth who participate in those organizations. There will be no grandstand entertainment, no carnivals, and no commercial exhibits.
But that’s just the thing — according to fair officials, the Dickinson County Fair in Spirit Lake doesn’t have those types of things even in a normal year. They just don’t have grandstand entertainment, a carnival, or commercial exhibits. So to say the fair will be taking place as scheduled is technically true, but somewhat misleading if you’re not aware that 4-H and FFA exhibits always make up the whole fair in Spirit Lake.
The dates for Dickinson County Fair are July 18-23. You can call the Dickinson County office of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for more information.
Meanwhile, the Clay County Fair, which is always held much later than the others — in September — is still on as of now.
