COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed such Branch County events in 2020 as the Car Show and Swap Meet, the Bronson Polish Festival and Quincy’s Main Street Festival has added the Branch County Fair to its list.
The Fair Board announced in a letter posted on Facebook Tuesday evening that this year’s event which was scheduled to take place during the week of August 9 has been cancelled.
The announcement came less than a week after the Hillsdale County Fair that was scheduled to take place in September was called off.
The Branch County Fair Board said the decision to call off this years fair was not easy and was not taken lightly. They added the health and welfare of their youth, community, volunteers, vendors and concessioners was their number one priority.
The Board also said they needed to be fiscally responsible for the future of the fair. They added COVID-19 and the resulting mandates from the State of Michigan also guided them in their decision.
The Branch County Fair has not been called since 1929 when the Great Depression started.
The letter went on to say that “waiting any longer to make this decision would be potentially more damaging to our youths summer projects and to our fair partners.”
