17th Annual Georgia State Fair To Go On In Spite Of COVID-19 Pandemic

In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Georgia State Fair plans to open for the 17th time on Friday at Georgia Motor Speedway.

But there are still going to be marked changes in the event that reflect how drastically life now differs since the onset of the pandemic. 

According to the fair's website, attendees will be subjected to a temperature check at the gate, as well as being required to fill out a "travel questionnaire." Social distancing will be enforced and distance markers will be placed amongst the ride lines. Like other events, those who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 are being asked not to attend.

The fair's Facebook page featured several commenters with questions surrounding the event in light of the pandemic.

"Are they going to take precautions since COVID-19 is still going on?" wrote one person under a promotional post. "Will we be required to wear a mask?"

Attendees will, in fact, be required to wear masks at all times.

The plan to continue forward with the fair comes as other events and festivals around the state have opted to cancel or postpone.

Organizers for the North Georgia State Fair in Cobb, which is sometimes confused for the State Fair, announced in August that the event would be canceled over health and safety concerns. 

"Now more than ever, our community needs positivity and strength,” North Georgia State Fair manager Told Miller told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the time. “We look forward to being back with you next year, stronger and better than ever.”

As of 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, there have been 318,026 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia. 7,021 have died.