Citing COVID-19 health safety concerns the 2020 Ark-La-Miss Fair, annually sponsored by the West Monroe Civitan Club, has been canceled for this year, fair board chairman Mike Shields announced Tuesday.
The 48th annual event was scheduled to take place Oct. 2-11 at the grounds of the Monroe Civic Center and will be rescheduled to resume in 2021.
“We are very concerned about the safety of our Civitan members, our fair patrons, the vendors and our ride company, Belle City Amusements,” Shields said. “If was a very tough call for us to make. However, these health trends in our region and state just aren’t in our favor to have a successful event for everyone.”
Shields said several parts of the annual agricultural fair had already been trimmed from this year’s now-canceled event, including the petting zoo, where patrons were able to interact with several animals.
Other events affected by the cancellation are the annual American Brahman Bull Association (ABBA) points show, the Ark-La-Miss Livestock Show and the Home Extension Home and Crafts Show. All those events will resume in the fall, 2021, Shields said.
The fair is the Civitan Club’s major fund-raiser each year. Club president Heath Heisler said community organizations benefit from those proceeds.
We give anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 from the fair’s proceeds annually in donations to local non-profit organizations,” Heisler said. “It’s our strongest desire to get back to that practice with next year’s fair.”