Groups pull out of fair over COVID-19 worries

WELLINGTON — Six groups have pulled out of the Lorain County Fair, including one vendor who has sold Confederate flags. The fair posted Monday that several have canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them are Lorain County Veterans Services, due to health concerns for senior volunteers; the Brighton United Methodist Church food booth, also over concerns about senior workers; the Wellington Women's League, which normally operates the popular Cheese Sizzle booth, and noted there would be difficulties with social distancing inside; and University Hospitals, which will not participate in 2020 due to "difficulties with scheduling and staffing" caused by the pandemic, according to the fair. Also bowing out are public libraries that usually share a small building and run promotions. "There's no purpose in us being there if we can't have patrons in the little library there," said Jennifer Black, Lorain Public Library director of marketing and public relations. She said safety precautions would make giveaways impossible. "It's a social distancing issue. It's a contact issue," she said. Retired Vietnam veteran Russell Bissett, a vendor who has sold clothing and other items at the fair for more than 30 years, also will not take part in August. Bissett has sold Civil War memorabilia, including the Confederate flag. "I had 200 people yesterday thank me for standing up for the flag," he said in an interview at the 2016 fair. "I haven't had one person complain." The Fair-minded Coalition of Lorain County has been lobbying to have sales of the Confederate flag banned from the fair. Other fairs have done so, or have asked vendors not to sell the flag, but the board governing the Lorain County Fair has remained steadfast in its position to allow the flags to be sold. COVID-19 was the reason for Bissett Concessions' decision not to participate this year, according to the fair. "Due to the coronavirus closure of nearly all the festivals and fairs he attends, he will not be going out on the show circuit this year," it said. It is unclear how many vendors, if any, still plan to sell Confederate flag merchandise this year. Fair Board President Kim Meyers could not be reached for comment Monday. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.