Polk County Youth Fair limiting attendance due to COVID-19

BARTOW, Fla. - The Polk County Youth Fair has been a tradition for more than 70 years. This year, however, it is anything but traditional because of COVID-19.

As you walk in, your temperature is taken. You have to wear a mask unless you’re with your family and socially distanced from other people.

Hand washing stations are scattered across the grounds of the Stuart Center where the event is taking place this week.

"The goal with all these precautions is to try and keep a distance as much as possible, but give the kids an opportunity to come here and show," Paul Webb, President of the Polk County Youth Fair Board told FOX 13.

Webb said the fair board has also limited the number of spectators allowed to watch a show at one time.

"In our arena last night for the hog show, rather than have 1,000 in there, we kept our numbers to below 200," he said.

Each exhibitor is given two wristbands. Whoever wears a wristband is only allowed to watch one section of the show.

"When the first part was done, everybody had to leave the arena. We disinfected the whole arena. Then we brought in the next group of people," Webb explained.

That encouraged Darcie Walls, whose daughter is showing a hog, to get creative. She watched the other classes on YouTube and then watched her daughter's in-person.

"Watching YouTube from the safety of my car," she commented.

Fans can also watch the shows on PGTV. This is the first year the government channel is live streaming all the shows, a result of  COVID-19.

The fair started last Friday and runs until this Friday. For a complete schedule of events, visit http://www.pcyf.net/.