The 2020 Larimer County Fair and 4-H competitions will be held at the Larimer County Fairgrounds at The Ranch but in a limited capacity from a continuing partnership between Larimer County CSU Extension and The Ranch.

Some 4-H program competitions, such as interview judging, will take place as static displays without the interview component due to in-person safety concerns and lack of space at the fairgrounds and events center.

Creative methods may be used to run competitions virtually like the Fashion Review Show. A few shows and competitions will be performed live, although via limited contact and social distancing to comply with state and county health guidelines, such as the model rocketry and county 4-H shooting sports competition.

Livestock shows will also take place, spread over multiple dates to accommodate numerous species and limited space. Larimer County Ranch staff and Larimer County Extension will partner to manage the show along with the many volunteers that make the show a success.

“I’m so pleased we found a way to accommodate these components of our county fair,” said Larimer County Commissioner Tom Donnelly, and liaison to the Larimer County Fair Board. “It’s important to us to be able to proceed as normal as possible even in these abnormal times. These kids deserve to show their projects, even if in a limited capacity.”

A difficult decision was also made to cancel the Open Class Completion for 2020. The Open Class includes entries from through Larimer County in a variety of areas, including photography, food preservation, gardening, baking and quilt-making. Space limitations are the primary concerns for running this program successfully.

“While the Open Class Competition Class Competition is canceled for 2020, the fair is not canceled — it’s just happening in a different way this year due to COVID-19,” said Donnelly. ❖