By David Fleet
Editor
It took World War II to cancel the Oakland County Fair in 1940. Now, it’s a pandemic that halted the mid summer tradition.
On June 3, the Oakland County Fair Board voted to cancel the traditional 2020 Oakland County Fair set for July 10-19.
Groveland Township resident and Oakland County Fair General Manager LC Scramlin said the 2021 Fair dates will be July 9-18, 2021.
“We are greatly disappointed that we won’t be able to provide the full fair experience for the thousands of guests we have each year due to the COVID19 pandemic,” said Scramlin, general manager. “The safety and health of the entire community, volunteers, guests, exhibitors, vendors, employees and board members is our top priority.
Scramlin added that an exhibitor only competition will be conducted over the same time.
“We are going to turn the general public away,” he said.
Scramlin said the exhibitors are invited to attend for showing, but will be spread out in a variety of buildings alone and the times will be staggered.

“The goal here is we can reduce the number of people attending and keep social distance,” he said. “They may even show outside rather than inside the barns.”
The new protocol may include some online showing and feature two auctions, one for large animals and one for small.
“We can host the live stock auction safely,” he said. “It’s vital financially for many participates to sell their animals. Several projects were purchased before the coronavirus even started—they should not be punished. For many the funds earned goes toward college needs and expenses.”
The project judging will be spread out over the 10 days, with contestants distancing by arriving at separate times.
“The fair’s going to be different,” said Scramlin. “But when the alternative is nothing, it will work. It still keeps me excited to work with the 4-H, this generation was pushed but did not break.”