FAIRLEA, W.Va. — A year after they were forced to cancel for 2020 due to the pandemic, organizers of the State Fair of West Virginia said they cannot wait until this year’s even gets started. Fair week in Greenbrier County is set for August 12-21 and Fair CEO Kelly Collins said it will largely be a normal event with very few restrictions.
“We’ve worked closely with the health department and the Governor’s office, so we’re pretty comfortable at moving to open at 100 percent capacity and masks will be optional,” she explained.
There will be a couple of pandemic effects still noticeable. Collins said they’ll still be doing enhanced cleaning and fair goers may find some of the exhibit halls will feature only one way traffic. The aim is to cut down on congestion and allow for natural social distancing. She said anybody in a high risk group is advised to consider precautions.
The Health Department will also be on the fairgrounds every day offering free Covid 19 vaccinations to anybody who may not have received them.
Collins expected there will be a huge turnout on every night.
“From looking at other festivals across the state and across the county, there’s been great attendance. People are pent up, there’s a lot of pent up demand and people are really looking forward to getting out. So we’re looking forward to a really good week and probably a busy week,” she said.
Organizers are still looking for a grandstand act for Wednesday night and expect to have an announcement in the coming days. The rest of the fair’s grandstand lineup was announced a few weeks back and features one of the most diverse entertainment selections ever.