Lily Jo Ramsey, 10, of Haines, and the division champ ribbon she won at the Southeast Alaska State Fair for her exhibit titled “River Poems.” Ramsey entered several exhibits and was planning to model a wearable art dress and cape she created for this year’s fair.
With reported COVID-19 cases again rising in Alaska, officials with the Southeast Alaska State Fair this week said they’ll be taking all reasonable precautions to make the outdoor event safe, including encouraging masks and social distancing and requiring registration at the fair entrance.
At admission gates, fairgoers will be required to provide their name, hometown and a contact phone number.
“We’re looking for people to stay healthy,” said Kari Johnson, the fair’s executive director. “I think we’re taking as many precautions as we can having the majority of events outside. We just encourage everybody to social distance.”
Besides providing free masks, the fair will have hand-washing and hand-sanitizing stations posted through the fairgrounds. Traffic into Harriett Hall to see exhibits will be single file and staggered. The fair is adopting protocols established by the State of Alaska for the event.The CDC this week recommended people in areas where there’s high transmission should wear a mask in indoor public settings.
Still, some regular fairgoers this week expressed doubts about potential exposure at the event. “We’ll definitely do the parade. I want to support the fair but I don’t think we’ll be hanging out,” said longtime Haines resident John Svenson. “I might do a cameo. I don’t know.”
Svenson said he’s been vaccinated but he has concerns, including recent outbreaks in Sitka and Juneau. “It’s not so much fear, it’s just there’s a lot of people in town and who knows? There’s a lot of kids running around.”
Svenson said the fair, to him, is a social event and opportunity to catch up with neighbors, but he won’t be looking at it that way this year.
Fair officials have cancelled some events and rides that involve proximity, like the Bounce House and inflatable jousting, due to COVID-19 concerns. For the same reason, the Klondike Saloon and adjoining music stage will not operate this year.
Most of the people getting sick in Alaska, and nearly all requiring hospitalization, in recent weeks have been unvaccinated. Rates of at least one vaccination shot include 70% in Haines, 78% in Juneau, 83% in Skagway and 65% in Petersburg.