The Thurston County Fair has been canceled for the second year in a row, but a small event that will be closed to the public will still be held for youth development programs, the county announced Tuesday.

The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a closed fair proposal to accommodate the Future Farmers of America program and Washington State University’s 4-H program, according to a county news release. This fair will still occur in July but will be closed to the public and limited in scope.

The county canceled the fair last year citing COVID-19 concerns but some expressed hope it could be held this year on the fair’s 150th anniversary, the Olympian previously reported. However, the timing and ongoing pandemic concerns weighed heavily in this year’s decision, said Fair Coordinator Theresa Reid.

“There were just too many unknowns in how we can keep people healthy and safe while still providing a great Thurston County Fair experience,” Reid said in a news release. “We’re very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the fair in 2022.”

Reid told The Olympian the Fair Board considered three options: having a full fair with a carnival and vendors, a closed fair with just animals and still life, or no fair at all.

She said the county decided on a closed fair to ensure 4-H and FFA participants could still showcase their projects in a safe setting. She said those groups typically contribute most of the exhibits at the fair.

“4-H has stricter guidelines than the state does,” Reid said. “They are only allowed to be in cohorts currently of 15 and they’re not allowed to mix or mingle with the public. So that would eliminate 4-H participation in a public fair.”

Reid said she hopes the fair can continue to serve and educate youth even at this limited capacity.

“We want to make sure that the fair continues to be the biggest classroom in the county,” Reid said. “We’re here to educate kids, youth, adults and we really want to showcase what Thurston County has to offer.”

Although Gov. Jay Inslee has set a June 30 statewide reopening date, the county did not have enough time to fully consider new guidance and prepare the county fair, Reid said.

“Unfortunately, the guidance that’s coming is still not clear and we do need a certain amount of time to prepare to have a good quality fair,” Reid said.

Reid said the COVID-19 pandemic made doing a full fair too risky. She said if rules were to suddenly change again, it would make it difficult for the county to recoup the investment.

In a prepared statement, Commissioner Tye Menser said canceling the public fair was a difficult decision for the Board of County Commissioners.

“Like everyone, we are looking forward to returning to events like the Thurston County Fair that are essential to our sense of community,” Menser said. “I encourage everyone who can to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. The faster we can vaccinate our community, the sooner we can get back to normal.”

Thurston County Public Health and Social Services has been using the county fairgrounds as one of its drive-through mass vaccination sites for weeks. Information on upcoming clinics can be found on the county’s coronavirus vaccine information webpage.

When the fair does eventually return, it may end up looking different than it has in the past. Reid said the county is preparing plans to demolish decades-old buildings on the fairgrounds that provide about 19,000 square feet of space.

In their place, she said the county hopes to build a new flexible-use covered building with up to 23,000 square feet. She said the Fair Board will have to return to the Board of County Commissioners with costs and more specifics as they go through the permitting process.

At this time, she said she does not have an estimate for when that project could be completed.