Don’t be reckless at the Benton Franklin Fair. Tri-City lives and livelihoods are at stake

As much as we all would like to live as if COVID didn’t exist, the reality is the virus cannot be ignored.

But with this week’s opening of the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo, it’s a sure bet many Tri-Citians are going to try.

We can’t blame them. The fair is touted as the Best Week of Summer for a reason. It’s fun, it’s exiting, it’s delicious and it brings the community together.

The “bringing together” piece is what has health officials worried.

Benton Franklin Health District officials recommended this week that large events cancel. But that’s easier said than done when it comes to a massive undertaking like the fair.

This is not an event solely staffed by local volunteers like the Sausage Fest — the primary fundraiser for Christ the King Catholic School in Richland. Organizers there have decided to turn the traditional, September crowd-gathering bash into a drive-thru.

The bicounty fair, on the other hand, does not happen with only Tri-City help. It’s just too huge — and there are national contracts to consider, including major entertainers that already have been booked. Canceling it at this late date would be a logistical and financial nightmare.

And so far, even the Washington State Fair in Puyallup is still planning to open in two weeks.

Fair Executive Director Lori Lancaster told the Herald that the scope of a fair is different. “We start planning for it in October,” she said.

The fair draws 4-H Clubs from around the region, with kids who have worked all year to show off their animals and exhibits.

Adults, too, look forward to entering projects that might have taken months to create, including quilts and paintings. For many, these efforts gave them the diversion they needed to get through the isolation of last year’s COVID lockdown.

And then there are Tri-City groups that use the fair as a fundraising tool. It’s where they make their money so they can help the community the rest of the year.

It was an emotional and financial blow when the Benton Franklin Fair canceled last year because of COVID. It can be done safely this year, but people will have to be careful.

Lancaster said the fair is following all state rules and guidelines and, so far, there are no restrictions on outdoor activities.

In addition, fairs have been held all summer across Washington and Oregon, and Lancaster said she’s heard good reports.

The Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden and the Grant County Fair in Moses Lake are just finishing their runs, and the Umatilla County Fair also just wrapped up.

That we have yet to hear of COVID outbreaks from other county fairs in the region is comforting, but that doesn’t guarantee fairs are safe.

The Delta variant is insidious and people must take precautions if they plan to attend.

Gov. Jay Inslee has just ordered that masks be worn by everyone indoors in public settings, so fairgoers should abide by that rule when they are in one of the exhibit buildings at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick.

Health officials also recommend people wear masks outside just to be safe, especially when people are in close proximity to one another, like at the animal shows and concerts.

Hand sanitizing and washing stations will be available throughout the fair, and people should use them often.

And, as a bonus, you can get a free fair ticket if you get a COVID vaccine shot from local health department officials staffing a tent outside the gates. While getting the vaccine won’t provide instant protection against COVID, it’s still a great opportunity.

The Delta variant is infecting Tri-Citians faster than hospitals can manage and, unfortunately, it emerged just as the state was allowed to open up.

For a couple of months life felt normal, but now it feels like we are on the brink of a repeat of 2020 restrictions.

It doesn’t help that Franklin and Benton counties are way behind on vaccination rates. While there are reports of breakthrough cases in which Tri-Citians received their shots and got the virus anyway, some 95% of COVID patients in local hospitals are unvaccinated.

When nurses and doctors are overwhelmed with COVID patients, they can’t take other patients in need of the ICU and that’s frightening.

As a community, we have always supported the fair. This year, we will be holding our breath in the hopes that the crowd it attracts doesn’t also lead to a COVID outbreak.

If you go, follow the rules.

The bicounty fair can be done safely, but only if people aren’t reckless.

This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 4:25 PM.