The Benton County Fair Is Underway

(KNSI) – The 168th Benton County Fair is underway in Sauk Rapids.

The fair has returned after getting canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic. Fair Board Director Nany Zupan says she’s feeling a lot of emotion as the annual summer gathering gets started.

“We’re excited, scared, not knowing what to expect how many people are going to be here. It’s just you know, we’re looking forward to it.”

Jake Judd (KNSI News)

Zupan says they’re hoping for the best, and the fair has taken some basic COVID precautions.

“We have put out hand sanitizer throughout basically all the buildings. You can wear a mask if you want. There is no position on that. We’ve cut back on some things to get a little bit more spacing on things.”

New to the fair in 2021 is the Rock-On Truck’s Veterans Memorial sitting by the ice arena, and Vex Robotics are competing in the Ice Arena on Tuesday and Wednesday. There’s also at least one new ride on the midway.

There is no charge to get into the fair. The fair runs from Tuesday, August 3, through Sunday, August 8, at the Benton County Fair Grounds, 1410 3rd Avenue South.

The first Benton County Fair was held in 1852. Get a complete schedule of events by clicking here.

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