Fate of Grant County Fair livestock show still uncertain
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald The livestock arena at the Grant County Fairgrounds may remain unused in 2020, depending on the decision concerning a scaled-down livestock show tentatively scheduled for August.
Cheryl Schweizer/Columbia Basin Herald The fate of a scaled-down livestock show in August at the Grant County Fairgrounds is still uncertain, so livestock barns may remain empty in 2020.
MOSES LAKE — Registration is open for the livestock show and sale that would replace the event that would normally be part of the Grant County Fair. Whether the livestock show will be allowed is still to be determined, but an online livestock sale probably will be held no matter the fate of the show.
The fair was canceled in late May due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the efforts to combat it. Fairgrounds director Jim McKiernan said the status of the outbreak is crucial in determining the fate of the livestock show.
Currently, Grant County is in Phase 2 of the statewide phased reopening process. But the county has experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases. As of July 9, Grant County had 755 cases and 28 had been reported in the previous 24 hours, according to Grant County Health District officials.
“The rise in cases is not boding well for our cause,” McKiernan said.
The entire reopening program has been halted statewide due to the increase in coronavirus cases.
Fairgrounds officials have written a plan and submitted it to the health district, McKiernan said. Representatives from the Grant County Fair and other Eastern Washington fairs have met twice with state officials, and they are waiting to find out what will and won’t be allowed.
Some exhibitors already had purchased a fair animal by the time the cancellation was announced. Sarah Smith, animal sciences specialist for WSU-Grant/Adams Extension, said people who work with youth exhibitors want to help the kids see some return for their efforts.
“The goal is to get a certified weight, evaluate the animals for market-readiness, offer a marketing opportunity and get them transported to their harvest destination,” she wrote.
“We have been working with both local custom harvest and commercial packing plants to ensure that we can get these animals harvested in a timely manner, as most local butchers have limited capacity to take on additional local animals for harvest at this time. So it is imperative to work with commercial packing plants at this time,” Smith wrote.
Most commercial packing plants have been able to introduce measures that are allowing them to operate near their pre-coronavirus capacity, she said.
In the meantime, exhibitors can register online at the fairgrounds website. Exhibitors are allowed one animal, except in dairy competition, where they’re allowed two. Exhibitors must register for fitting and showing competition by July 15, and for market competition between Aug. 1 and 10.
There is no open division.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.
