Fowlerville News and Views Online

Fowlerville Family Fair still on; Youth Show to be offered

By Steve Horton

    Barring a government order to the contrary or the current COVID-19 pandemic making it unfeasible, the annual Fowlerville Family Fair will take place as planned this summer. The  six-day event is scheduled July 27-August 1.
    The fair will also offer as close as possible all of the livestock and still-exhibit judging, special activities, and auctions that normally are put on by 4-H, only they’ll come under the heading of Youth Show.
   This change is due to the MSU Extension Service, under which the youth organization operates, cancelling all 4-H activities until September, including participation in the fairs.
    The fair board, upon learning of this decision by MSU Extension, met last week to decide whether to put on the fair without any 4-H participation or provide this alternative. 
    Since those youth activities—centered in the back end of the fairgrounds—make up such a large part of the local fair, not having it would have made it a challenge to even stage the event, a fair official said.
    Dr. Tim Tersigni, a member of the board, explained that it was a unamimous decision to proceed with the fair, unless ordered not to by the state, and to include a Youth Show. He added that the offerings will mirror as much as possible what is done by 4-H during fair week and that participation in the different classes and activities will be open to “all area youngsters,” not just those who belong to 4-H.
    “Given what’s now going on with the shelter-in-place that is confining many people to their homes, the business closures and lay-offs, and the disruption and hardship this is causing, the board felt that putting on the fair would be a way of helping get things back to normal,” he said. “We also didn’t want to take away this opportunity for our young people to bring their animals and other projects to the fair and to have the judging and other activities.”
    Tersigni noted that a plan will be created for the Show, with details to be announced as soon as possible.
   Updates and information will be available on the fair’s website: www.FowlervilleFamilyFair.com, on its Facebook page, and through area media.
   “The board realizes that the spread of the disease and how long it lasts may change our current decision,” he said, “but since the fair doesn’t take place until late July, we felt it was worth proceeding with it and to have the event be as normal as possible.”