Carnival companies and fair vendors have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and shutdown, just as thousands of businesses have. But they haven’t all completely closed up shop. The website of the Wade Shows, provider of the midway rides and games for the New York State Fair, lists a reduced, but existing number of fairs still scheduled. 
In fact, the Delaware State Fair opened its 10-day run on July 23 with Wade providing the midway. According to the Delaware State Fair’s website, they’ve made significant changes to procedures. Their entire concert schedule was canceled and safety protocols are in force.
Meanwhile the Tennessee and North Carolina State Fairs were late scratches, while Wade is still booked for the Nebraska State Fair from Aug. 28 to Sep. 7 as well as several other major festivals in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. They’re going forward while maximizing caution, hoping no doubt, that it won’t lead to a spike in covid-19 cases.
Ultimately, those fairs may or may not go on. New York seems at this point to have a better grip on the outbreak than most other states. So if at least some states are successful in holding their event without major consequence, it will validate second guessing of Gov. Cuomo’s decision to cancel rather than instituting precautions and forging ahead.
Given its timing and proximity to New York, a review of the Delaware Fair will be most instructive in analyzing whether the closing of the New York State Fair was justified. We’ll take a look at a later date.
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