FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WFFT) - An event many look forward to coming late summer, the Allen County Fair is a hit when late July, early August rolls around.
But that won’t be the case this year.
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Allen County Fair

Allen County Fairgrounds
The fair’s board of directors announced the cancellation of the 31st annual gathering Thursday morning.
Another festival fallen victim to COVID-19.
Board member Michelle Love, says, “With the coronavirus pandemic that’s going on, we just felt like it was in the best interest of our organization, of our community, and all of our partners and vendors that come as well.”
RELATED: 2020 Allen County Fair canceled amid coronavirus concerns
The 4-H youth development group that showcases animals and projects at the fair felt the sting, too.
After 10 years in the STEM and agricultural program himself, current 4-H educator Sammuel Johnson feels for his students who won’t get the chance to bring their talents to the table this year.
Especially after adjusting their preparation schedule to the pandemic for the last couple of months.
Johnson says, “A lot of their normalcy has gone away for the year.”
The fair cancellation might be disappointing, but it isn’t the end for Johnson’s students.
Johnson notes how they responded to the changes over the past couple of months like champs.
He says, “One thing 4-H’ers know how to do is be resilient and be flexible and roll with the punches.”
The Allen County Fair board organizers plan for the fair to resume by summer 2021.