Northwest Montana Fair carnival canceled

MISSOULA, Mont. — The carnival at the Northwest Montana Fair is canceled this year, but the event as a whole is still on.

The Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo held a press conference Wednesday to outline how the event is continuing to move forward.

Flathead County Fairgrounds manager Mark Campbell announced a new public safety campaign, “Be a Fair Champion.” The initiative was implemented to educate visitors on how to keep themselves and others safe while attending.

“Be a Fair Champion” includes wearing masks, abiding by distancing guidelines, washing and sanitizing hands often, staying home if feeling sick and respecting the modified fair plans.

Modified plans include the cancellation of the carnival, line markers painted on the ground, seat spacers at events in the grandstands, entry and exit directions and staggered entrance and exiting.

Each day of the fair, Campbell says from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at-risk visitors and those who are immunocompromised will be able to come in before any of the crowds.

In an effort to move crowd attendance from the typical busy hours in the evening to the daytime, the fair is offering a two-for-one special from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wash stations and hand sanitizers will be placed throughout the fairgrounds.

The beer garden and party pit have been removed to respect social distancing.

All vendor seating and stand-up counters will be located to the side or rear of stands.

There will be daily Health Department checks for all booths. Masks and gloves are required for all workers engaging with food or the public.

Despite all of the safety precautions, local medical health professionals are concerned for the public's safety.

“We are the people who are going to end up taking care of the community when they get sick with COVID, and we are very anxious about the tens of thousands of people gathering,” said pediatric specialist Dr. Lynn Dykstra.

A petition was presented to the Fair Board asking for the fair to be scaled back. Sources say the petition was originally signed by roughly 140 medical professionals.

Dykstra said the petition now has more than 300 signatures.

She said the petition was sent to Gov. Steve Bullock on Wednesday.

Medical professionals are asking that events such as concerts and the rodeo be pushed back to next year. The petition does not ask to cancel the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo as a whole.

“Our hope is that the 4-H participants and the FFA participants can still fully participate and that the focus of the fair becomes the kids who have simply worked so hard all year,” said Dykstra.

One Kalispell doctor is speaking out in opposition of the petition.

“The data in Montana and specially in the Flathead, neither data supports mandated masks, closing the fair or closing any businesses,” said Annie Bukacek, MD.

In a testimony to the Health Board, Bukacek wrote, “Less than 1%, a quarter of 1% of people in the Flathead have a COVID-positive test.”

She added support for the fair by saying the fair tradition is important to many people in the valley.

The Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo is a tradition that unites the community. This year, the event is dividing it.

“We are going to do it with all of our heart, all of our effort, and we are going to do it, and we are going to do it to the very best of our abilities from start to finish,” said Campbell.