4-H fairs, activities and more will be impacted by an announcement made by Purdue University and Purdue Extension.

The Hancock County Fairgrounds posted the following information on its Facebook page:

Updated on the 2020 Hancock County 4-H Fair and decision by Purdue Extension. There are many meetings taking place with Extension and the Hancock County 4-H Ag Association for moving the fair to a different date. This will take some time. We will announce plans next week.

Please watch the Hancock County 4-H Facebook page and the Hancock County 4-H Ag Association pages for correct information. Our goal is to have a fair. And we are working on a July schedule.

There are lots of pieces to the puzzle that are being worked on to make this another great Hancock County 4-H fair.

Shelby County Extension Director Scott Gabbard with local response to the Purdue announcement:

Dear Shelby County Residents, Stakeholders, Families and Friends;

First off we would like to thank you for your continued patience and flexibility through these uncertain times. We truly appreciate all of you and please understand these decisions were made with everyone’s safety in mind. Many of you may have already received communication from the Purdue Extension State 4-H Office but we wanted to follow up and make sure everyone has received the updates.

Due to the continued spread of COVID-19 and the important need to slow this spread, this week Purdue University and Purdue Extension announced the decision to extend the existing ban on face-to-face events through June 30, 2020.

What does this mean for 4-H at the fair???

Please note the Shelby County Fair is still planning to happen in 2020. Our 4-H presence just will happen at a different time or maybe even in a non-traditional format. We are working on the possibility of alternate time frames and virtual platforms. We ask that you please give us until mid-May for further updates and to firm up plans.

Is the office open???

Under the direction of the Shelby County Commissioners, our office is open with limited access.  The office is staffed M-F 8AM-4PM.  We are still meeting with our organizations and partners too through Zoom, WebEx and via other digital means.

How do I pick up a guide or drop off an item???

We have a locked mailbox at the main entrance.  At our second entrance (between the Extension Office and Health Department) we have a dropbox.  Callthe office at 317-392-6460, people on staff will work with you as to the best method of transfer.

Again, the Shelby County Fair has not been cancelled.Only the Purdue Extension portion of the event has been postponed at this time.  We are still answering questions, coordinating the creation of PPE for MHP, assisting where we can with other county departments and doing limited field visits. We do ask for your patience as we work through options. It’s going to look a little different this year but we are all in this together to best serve you.We will continue to share updates as they become available.