CALDWELL, Idaho — The Canyon County Fair will hold only social-distancing style 4-H and Future Farmers of America exhibits this year, due to the coronavirus.
“We have to try to find ways to control crowds,” said Carrie Johnson, the 4-H extension educator for the University of Idaho. “So for the youth exhibitors, they’re being provided a wristband for youth or another family member or volunteer leader or FFA advisor.”
The public is not encouraged to buy wristbands to the event.
The Canyon County 4-H and FFA Expo will stretch out their auction schedule instead of having a normal tight format. Livestock will be brought in one species at a time, starting with sheep.
“By Saturday they will all go home, and then we’ll do some cleaning and then start in with the meat goats and do cleaning and just kind of continue in that way,” Johnson said.
All auctions will be done virtually through liveauctions.tv, where people can sign up to become buyers, or simply watch.
Although masks are already encouraged, the fair plans to require masks if Southwest District Health mandates them this week.
“We really want the youth to still be able to walk away from however our Canyon County 4-H and FFA Expo looks like this year feeling like they accomplished something, learned something, and have a sense of pride in that,” the 4-H extension educator said.
The Canyon County 4-H and FFA Expo schedule can be found on the Canyon County Fair website.