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Delaware State Fair unveils plans for an altered 2020 edition

Delaware Public Media

The Delaware State Fair plans to go on as scheduled from July 23 through August 1, but it will have a different look this year.

A variety of change are being forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The fair’s concert line-up was already canceled, but organizers promise plenty of other entertainment options around the grounds this year.

Delaware State Fair assistant general manager Danny Aguilar details some of the options.

"The Sounds of Summer take place in the Hertrich Plaza which is vocal tracked, and we have a country artist. Seats for that plaza show will be spread out 6-foot distance, actually 8-foot distance on the seating configuration," said Aguilar. "The parade however has been canceled, but we have the circus, we're actually taking the tent off the top of the circus and this could be an open-air presentation. We've got racing pigs, we have disconnect K-9 nine, it's a brand new dog show, we have roaming entertainment, dinosaurs."

Aguilar adds the beer garden will operate with safety guidelines as social distancing rules enforced. But there will be fewer food vendors.

And Aguilar describes how livestock shows will operate differently this year.

"We moved to change/modify the schedule to where one species is in one building for example in the past beef and dairy cows would be housed all 10 days in the same building," said Aguilar. "First five days is going to be beef, the second five days will be dairy so we're modifying the schedules. The swine will come in and the sheep will come in."

Campers will still be allowed on the fairgrounds.   

Face coverings will be required inside all the buildings, and they’re only required outside when you’re unable to social distance.

Another big change is admission.  People can enter for free between 8-11 a.m.  Admission is half price from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Regular admission - which is $9 - will be charged after 4 p.m.

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.
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