Some State Fair Vendors Concerned About New Masking, Vaccine Rules
With the longtime event returning this week, some Illinois State Fair vendors are concerned new mask and vaccine rules will impact crowds, and business, at the fair.
After Friday’s announcement that masks will be required indoors at the Illinois State Fair and vaccinations or negative COVID tests are required for some grandstand tickets, some vendors are worried about the impact the new rules may have on crowds.
The state announced the new restrictions on fairgoers less than a week before the fair opens this Thursday after being canceled completely in 2020.
Kelsie Vose, whose family has been selling corn dogs at the State Fair for 55 years, says she’s concerned about the impact the requirements will have on attendance.
“The concert [ticket] sales have been great,” she said. “They were almost mirroring ‘19, which was one of the best fairs we’ve had in years. Being thrown something like this a week before the fair starts, there’s absolutely concern.”
Concerts are a main part of the Vose family business during the fair with their stands located right behind the grandstand.
All concertgoers will be required to wear a mask, and the state is requiring those in standing room areas on the track area of the grandstand, which are often filled with young people, to “provide a print or digital copy of personal vaccine card, vaccine record, or negative COVID-19 test within the 72 hours preceding the concert.”
Vose says she worries the additional burden will keep some people home and many others may not be able to meet the requirements because they traveled from out of state without their vaccination card or weren’t aware of the new policy.
“I’ve had several conversations with people who had no idea [of the requirements],” she said. “I think that’s kind of a big worry that people aren’t even aware of the restrictions.
There was even some concern among vendors we spoke to that musical acts may cancel their appearances out of protest. So far, that hasn’t happened, and an Illinois Department of Agriculture spokesperson says the vaccination requirements do not apply to performers and there’s no concern there will be any cancellations.
“The health and safety of our fairgoers has been and continues to be our number one priority,” said a Department of Ag spokesperson. “We think this will encourage more folks to come out to the fair knowing these safety measures are in place.”
It isn’t clear how the mask and vaccine mandates will be enforced.
Vose is hoping for the best.
“I don’t think the fair is going to be empty,” she said. “But I do think that some of those evenings where people would generally be showing up for those concerts, I don’t know what to expect.”
Jim and Darcie Cullers, who operate a long-running french fry stand at the State Fair, didn’t comment on the mask or vaccine requirements, but encouraged local residents to make attending the fair a priority.
