Submitted by Mike Stevens, President, Haddam Neck Fair Association.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors of the Haddam Neck Fair Association has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Haddam Neck Fair and all events scheduled to be held at the fairgrounds this year.
There were several factors that had to be considered that led to the decision to cancel this year’s fair. The most important was the safety of our volunteers, fairgoers, exhibitors, entertainers, vendors, board members and the community in general as well as financial and logistical factors that had to be considered. We also want to ensure the fair is financially secure so it can continue to be held for years to come.
While our Board of Directors had kept a positive attitude and were taking a ‘wait and see’ approach, we felt that a decision needed to be made and that the responsible decision is to cancel. The last time the fair was canceled was during World War II.
This is not the first pandemic that Haddam Neck Fair has faced. In 1916 a Polio epidemic broke out in New York City and spread throughout the northeast. By mid-summer it had reached Haddam Neck and surrounding communities. Movie theaters, libraries, churches and all schools were closed and quarantines were imposed just as things now are. The 1916 Haddam Neck Fair, a one-day event on Labor Day, was held and all non-resident children were required to show a health certificate indicating they were not infected in order to attended the fair. We are all aware that these are different times than 1916.
We would like to thank all of our volunteers, exhibitor’s, vendors and fairgoers for all of your continued support.
We look forward to our 2021 fair to be held September 3rd through September 6th 2021.
