‘My heart is breaking right now.’ Centre County Grange Fair canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
The 146th iteration of the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair is canceled, the festival’s president announced Wednesday evening.
An inability to comply with public health protocols brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic was the reason for the cancellation, Grange Fair President Ben Haagen wrote.
“It is with great sadness that the Centre County Grange Fair Committee announces the cancellation of the 2020 Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Haagen wrote. “The health and safety of our tenting and RV families, fairgoers, staff, concessionaires, sponsors and entertainers is of utmost importance.”
Centre County’s most historic and renowned summer festival is the last proverbial domino to fall.
The Central PA 4th Fest, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, People’s Choice Festival and Philipsburg Heritage Days were canceled in April.
“We wanted to keep it going, but we’re concerned for the welfare of the community. That is our No. 1 goal,” Haagen said in a phone interview Wednesday night. “A lot of people were concerned and asking, ‘Is it gonna be safe to come?’ We can’t guarantee that. We don’t know what this pandemic is going to be like or if it is going to rear its ugly head.”
The Grange Fair welcomes thousands of visitors to Centre Hall each August. The festival serves as an economic boon throughout Centre County, brings in nationally-known performers and leads families to pass down their tent locations like heirlooms.
The 264-acre fairgrounds are also dotted with exhibits, prize-winning livestock competitions, amusement rides and an ample amount of concession stands.
Haagen declined to say how much revenue the fair generates annually, how often the Grange Fair committee met to discuss the cancellation or what was discussed in those meetings.
But he acknowledged the “history of the fair” weighed heavily on committee members.
“My heart is breaking right now. It’s not an easy decision,” Haagen said. “I’ve grown up with the fair since I was a little kid. I could never see anything like this ever happening.”
The fair suffered its biggest hiccup in 1943, when the gathering was limited to one day due to gasoline rationing during World War II. It is expected to resume in 2021.
“We feel for anybody that had a part of the fair, whether it be a concessionaire, a 4-H or (Future Farmers of America) kid. I’m sure they’re going to be disheartened over it too,” Haagen said. “We feel for the families that have been coming there and this is their vacation every summer. It’s an unfortunate time that we’re in right now.”
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 9:03 PM.