County fair is canceled

The Quay County Fair in Tucumcari has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic and will be replaced with a stripped-down, livestock-only Quay County Expo for FFA and 4-H members at the usual time in mid-August.

Justin Knight, president of the fair board, said in an emailed statement Sunday the board voted unanimously July 6 to cancel the fair.

“This decision was a difficult one but considering the current situation and the mandates from the state government we felt that this was the best decision,” he wrote. “Our kids work hard on these projects and we know our County will be disappointed.”

Knight stated that 4-H and FFA participants should contact extension leaders and FFA advisers to determine what they can do with their animals.

Knight in a follow-up email Monday stated “the Expos will be a very scaled down version of the Fair with no outside vendors, no other activities such as the shepherds lead, horseshoe pitching contest, watermelon feed, etc.”

“Efforts will be made to enforce limited contact and social distancing,” he added. “This plan may become even more restrictive as we get closer to the dates.”

Knight released the statement after a mass mailing of the Quay County 4-H Newsletter by the county extension service arrived in area mailboxes late last week.

In the newsletter, agricultural agent Jason Lamb stated the Quay County Fair had been canceled and replaced with the Quay County Expo at the county fairgrounds in Tucumcari.

The newsletter states the expo on Aug. 12-15 “will be a livestock show and 4-H/FFA exhibit show only. No other events will be included.” It added the 4-H concession stand will be canceled, as well.

The newsletter urges those with questions to contact the extension office for clarification, and it would send a rulebook for the event shortly. It stated all livestock entries are due by 5 p.m. July 27. It contains a list of judges for the swine, lamb, goat, beef, rabbit and poultry shows.

Reached by phone Sunday, Lamb said the Quay County Expo also would include the usual Saturday night livestock auction.

“We're trying to make (the expo) as small as we can for COVID-19,” Lamb said, noting the state's ongoing ban on public gatherings.

Knight said during a Quay County Commission meeting in June he hoped to have “as normal as possible” fair amid coronavirus restrictions, but the fair board had canceled its contract with its carnival vendor because of that uncertainty.

Knight said at the commission meeting the horse show also had been canceled because of light participation in previous years. In addition, he said the rabbit show was canceled and would be held virtually instead because of an epidemic in the domestic rabbit population — the second time in three years the rabbit show has been curtailed because of disease.

Knight discussed several possible plans for the fair, including a three-day junior livestock show that included 4-H and FFA exhibitors with no open exhibits and no vendors. Another plan would have included livestock exhibitors arriving and leaving the same day for their shows. Indoor 4-H and FFA exhibits would have continued under a modified schedule. Knight said the board also was discussing a premium sale for the livestock auction.