Live entertainment struggles as Hamilton Co. Fair shuts down

The Cincinnati Circus Company and many other live acts were supposed to perform at the now-canceled Hamilton County Fair.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HEADING TOTHE HAMILTON COUNTY FAIR BUTTHAT'S NOT THE CASE THIS YEAR.ORGANIZERS CANCELLED THE FAIRBECAUSE OF REGULATIONS FROMGOVERNOR MIKEDEWINE.AND THAT'S A HUGE BLOWTO MANY SMALL BUSINESSES THATPARTICIPATE.WCPO 9 NEWSREPORTER JOSH BAZAN joins uslive... and josh you SPOKE TOONE LOCAL COMPANY THAT ISADAPTING TO SURVIVE.A LOT OF COMPANIES AND VENDORSRELY ON THE HAMILTON COUNTYFAIR AND OTHER FAIRS AS A BIGPART OF THEIR BUSINESSO FORPLACES LIKE THE CINCINNATICIRCUS COMPANY, THIS HAS BEENA DIFFICULT SUMMER TO GETTHROUGH."To give you specifics we aredown 90 percent off of lastyear."BUSINESS FOR THECINCINNATI CIRCUS COMPANY HASALL BUT DISAPPEARED DURING THECORONAVIRUS PANDEMICITH MANYOF THEIR REGULAR ACTS ANDPERFORMANCES SHELVED FOR THESUMMER."Performing circus acts andlive entertainment in the ageof the coronavirus is reallydifficult.

Losing the HamiltonCounty Fair and all of Ohio'sfairs was really painful forus."BUT THE SHOW MUST GO ON.SO WHILE OWNER DAVE WILLACKERJUGGLES THIS NEW REALITY, HISTEAM OF PERFORMERS IS PUTTINGON DRIVE-THRU CIRCUSES ANDDRIVE-IN MOVIE EVENTS ALL OVERTHE TRI-STATE."We'reretooling.""Socially distantentertainment is important andneeded to keep everybody'sspirits up."GOVERNOR MIKEDEWINE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FORCOUNTY FAIRS TO GO ON LIKENORMAL WHEN HE ANNOUNCED NEWREGULATIONS AT THE END OFJULYNLY ALLOWING JUNIORFAIRS WITH NO RIDES, GAMES ORCARNIVAL EVENTS.

THE HAMILTONCOUNTY FAIR PUT A STATEMENT ONFACEBOOK SAYING IN PART QUOTE:"We have worked hard the pastmonths, and weeks to ensurethat the event would be ableto take place, but with ordersfrom the governor's office,unfortunately we can not moveforward with the fair asplanned."WILLACKER UNDERSTANDSTHIS IS A DIFFICULT DECISION,BUT HE SAYS SMALL BUSINESSESLIKE HIS AND COUNTY FAIRSACROSS THE STATE ARE GOING TONEED HELP FROM OHIO AND THEFEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BE ABLETO GET THROUGHTHIS."Just in order to make surethat next year we can havecounty fairs.

That they canstick aroundfinancially."THE HAMILTON COUNTY FAIR SAYSIT INTENDS TO STICK AROUND ANDIS ALREADY LOOKING AHEAD TONEXT YEAR, PLANNING FOR WHATTHEY HOPE WILL BE A MORENORMAL SUMMER.

LIVE AT THEHAMILTON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS,JB WCPO 9 NEWS.