Some local fairs may be fortunate enough to hold their respective events later this summer contingent on the coronavirus pandemic.

Sadly, the Schnecksville Community Fair wasn’t able to stem the tide brought about by the spread of the COVID-19 virus and had to cancel this year’s event.

The 37th annual event was scheduled to be held June 16-20, meaning it would have been one of the first of the season, said fair board member Debbie Smith.

“When the COVID-19 virus hit, we were still hoping that by mid-June things would have improved enough for us to carry on, but it was not to be,” Smith said. “The board decided it was just too risky and that by mid-June people would still not be ready to go out in large groups.”

Smith said the board contacted its vendors, entertainers, sponsors and advertisers and told them, “It was a very difficult decision to make, but it was done for the protection, safety and benefit of everyone involved.”

Smith added, “Everyone we’ve spoken to so far has been very understanding.

Our board members and volunteers spend countless working on and planning for the event each year so needless to say it was heartbreaking to realize that the fair would not be happening. We hope our patrons understand what a disappointment that is for all of us.”

Emory Minnich, board president, explained how the board arrived at its final decision.

“They (the fair board) didn’t know if people would flock out like crazy, or be really cautious and didn’t want to be in groups,” Minnich said. “We didn’t know if people would have money to go out; the ride company didn’t know if every time they have to run a ride and sterilize it.”

Minnich said on the heels of last year’s event that encountered several rough days of weather, the fair board was hopeful this year’s event would have helped make it for it.

“I just had a feeling that the people weren’t going to come out,” he said. “It was a disappointment not to have it; we were counting on it because last year we had three years of pretty hard rain and we were getting cars stuck in the parking lot.”

While this year’s fair may have been canceled, Minnich said that hasn’t stopped the fair board from planning for next year’s event.

“The plan for next year is we’re having a fair; we are expecting to try to hold it,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next year (but) we intend to go ahead with our fair again.”

Minnich said the timing of this year’s fair in relation to the pandemic was just too risky to chance.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to rebound,” he said. “This year, I was real hesitant on trying to have it the way this virus was going around, and I just didn’t want to start another epidemic again by having our fair.”

Minnich noted that the fair averages about 14,000 guests per year, and added, “I (would) just hate to start anything up again and start another phase of this (virus).”

“If some of the other fairs are (planning on) holding it, I hope they make out,” he said. “I hope this (virus) clears up, or slows down.”