HUDSONVILLE — For the first time in 87 years, the Hudsonville Community Fair was canceled.
According to the fair board, they made their decision after a lot of discussion and following the progression of Michigan's Safe Start Plan. The state is currently in Phase 4 of that plan, and in order for large gatherings such as a fairs, Michigan would need to be in Phase 6, which is community spread not expected to return, sufficient community immunity, and availability of treatment.
The board didn't think they could get there by late August.
"It was a long process here ever since the original analysis back in March, about the pandemic and Coronavirus," said fair board president Lonnie Vis. "We kept previewing with our carnival people, with the various grants and events, all of our participants volunteers."
"When we try to think of a week where we put 75,000 people in here, that's a lot of people to, to do that," Vis added. "We finally had to make the decision that, just for safety's sake, for medical safety's sake, for the people of our community, that we just needed to cancel the fair."
Of course, the Hudsonville Fair isn't the first event to be canceled due to the pandemic. Tulip Time, the Summer Concert Series at Frederick Meijer Gardens, the Ionia Free Fair, and the list goes on and on, all canceled. There is still hope for the Allegan County Fair, as it is still scheduled to take place September 11-19.
