(La Porte County) After careful thought and deliberation, the La Porte County Agricultural Association (the "Board") has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 La Porte County Fair originally scheduled for July 12th - July 18th.

"For the last 174 years, the La Porte County Fair has been held without hesitation and the Board is extremely proud of that," said Steve Mrozinski, Board President. "However, our priority is the safety of all of those involved in making our Fair great. After reviewing federal, state and local guidelines, and knowing how quickly and easily the COVID-19 spreads in large groups of people, the Board did not feel it would be possible  nor prudent to have the Fair at this time. This is due in large part to the uncertainty around planning for large gatherings and ensuring proper implementation of COVID-19 safety protocols."

"Although an extremely difficult decision, the Board decided that canceling this year's Fair was in the best interests of all those involved", said Don Stoner, Fair Manager. "However, this will allow us to focus our efforts on 2021 and what will still be the 175th year of the La Porte County Fair. The Fair Board will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the 175th Fair of 2021 will be one of the best."

Those that have already purchased tickets for the Fair or any musical acts, including for Toby Keith, will receive a separate communication from the Fair office in the coming weeks as to how those tickets will be handled. Any questions regarding 4-H should be directed to the Purdue Extension's La Porte Office at (219)324-9407.