Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo Is Officially Canceled for 2020
Well, I guess it is not going to be the 'Best Week Of Summer' as the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo has been canceled.
Here is the heartfelt message/post by the Benton Franklin Fair on their Social Media Outlets:
This sure isn’t the year anyone saw coming. Since March we’ve been working hard to keep the fair on track, despite all the obstacles. But, sadly, our state’s current restrictions on gatherings won’t allow us to continue on the path to The Best Week of Summer. There will be no Benton Franklin Fair or Horse Heaven Round-Up in 2020.
We are feeling all the same things you are. Sad. Frustrated. Disappointed. Heartbroken.
We know this has a big impact on hundreds of businesses and thousands of people. The Fair is a platform for small businesses and entrepreneurs, service groups and nonprofits, school groups and young people, artists, entertainers and agriculturists, and many, many more. It is a significant source of revenue for many, with an economic output of $18.5 million in Benton County alone last year. Many of our partners have been greatly affected by the closures of fairs in our region this year, and we did not want to let them down. But in the end, we had no choice. Events like the Fair are not going to be allowed for the foreseeable future.
To our sponsors, vendors and volunteers, we appreciate you and your continued dedication to the Fair & Rodeo. We wish we could have reached out to each of you directly, but time was of the essence to make this decision. We will be in touch soon.
To those who have purchased tickets, we will be working to rebook the same entertainment line-up for 2021. We’ll be providing updates about refunds and rollovers for all types of tickets as soon as we can.
To our exhibitors, we wish we could have seen your projects on display. We know you have worked hard.
To the young people of our community who have invested in livestock projects, we will be working on plans for an auction. Keep your projects on track and Fair week on your calendar. We will see you in August, somehow, some way.
To all of you, we appreciate your patience and support as we work through this challenging process. Please give us some time as we figure out how to undo all the plans we have made for the past 10 months. One thing we know for certain is that we can’t wait to see you all Aug. 24-28, 2021.