PARIS, ONT. -- The Paris Fall Fair opened its gates on Thursday for the 2021 edition of the event.
The Paris Agricultural Society had to cancel the annual event last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s event has a midway, rides, food vendors and agricultural displays. Visitors are asked to wear a mask at all times when at the fair, including indoors and outdoors.
“We have told our volunteers that we’re really not going to enforce it. We are just going to post signs. We’re not expecting anyone to engage with people who aren’t obeying the signs,” said Ross Miller, president of the Paris Agricultural Society.
Space has been made for people to eat and drink with their masks off.
Miller said people have to use their own judgement, but security is available to handle anyone who is a problem.
“We’re just hoping that we provide a venue for people to come out and have fun, socialize safely,” Miller said.
Only a certain amount of people are allowed in some of the seating areas.
Re-entry is no longer allowed and hand sanitizer is available around the fair.
“Some people obviously aren’t having their masks on, but a lot of people are that I have seen, so we appreciate that, because we do want to keep the numbers as low as possible,” said Paula Tysoski, a sponsor at the picnic area.
The usual country show is not running this year.
Miller said usually over the five days of the event about 50,000 people pass through. With it being the first year back, he just hopes to reach half of that number.
The fair runs until Monday and officials are asking people to get their tickets online ahead of time, because there are capacity limits in place.
