Kern County Fair opens Wednesday, hopes to maintain tradition amid change

Sep. 18—Kern County Fair spokeswoman Chelsey Roberts knows what's new at the fair, knows what's old at the fair and knows that trying to keep fairgoers safe is important in the age of the pandemic.

But after being closed down last year in response to the pandemic, there's a lot of excitement about reopening this fall.

"The most exciting part is that we're back," Roberts said Friday, just five days before the fair opens its gates at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Indeed, the Kern County Fair Board reversed itself last spring when it decided not to cancel the fair for the second year running.

But some adjustments have been made.

"One major change is to have a 10-day instead of a 12-day fair," Roberts said.

The two-day cut will come right in the middle of the schedule, on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 27 and 28.

The break will give fair operators a chance to do some serious cleaning and sanitizing before opening back up on Wednesday, Sept. 29, and running five more days until calling it a fair on Sunday, Oct. 3.

But sanitizing will not happen only on those two days off, Roberts said.

"We'll have a new fun house," she said of one of several new attractions coming to the adult carnival. And the midway operator is using foggers and other methods to sanitize enclosed spaces, such as the fun house.

Another new ride, she said, is Hawaiian Express, which Roberts noted she's heard good things about.

But one of the most dynamic new offerings at the fair is an exhibit on the KC Loop called Mind Works, which includes educational and fun, STEM-based activities.

That's science, technology, engineering and math. Add art, and you get STEAM, Roberts said.

For example, Mind Works includes giant versions of popular board games, like Connect Four and Operation.

"It has a lot of hands-on activities," suitable for children and adults, Roberts said.

Still, would the fair really be The Fair without some new and outrageous food offerings?

How about the Krispy Kreme Hamburger?

ABC News dubbed a version of this burger "a cardiologist's worst nightmare," but what do they know? To visualize this burger (without getting too close) just replace the hamburger buns with two sweet glazed doughnuts.

"It sounds really interesting," Roberts said, sounding like any good marketing person should.

The combination of the savory and the sweet does sound intriguing, but will a doughnut hold up to a greasy burger like a bun might? Maybe one should ask for a fork.

But whatever you do, don't smuggle it onto the Tilt-A-Whirl.

One of the most popular parts of the fair has traditionally been the livestock barns.

Kids in jeans and plaid taking care of lambs and pigs? There's a lot to like in livestock land.

"It's really nice that our livestock kids get to show in person this year," Roberts said. "That's a change from last year, which was virtual."

Fairgoers are expected to see signs posted at all fair entrances warning about the risks of COVID-19, and there will be additional hand-washing and sanitization stations across the fairgrounds.

But no mask or vaccination mandates have been included in a set of safety protocols approved earlier this month by the fair's governing board.

CEO Mike Olcott told The Californian the list of measures has been accepted by all government agencies the board interacts with, including the county and state public health departments. He emphasized the protocols being put in place could be revised at any time, but said at this point "we're not under a (mask) mandate unless it changes."

So the fair will move forward as is. Will it become a giant petri dish for the spread of the virus, or will its mostly outdoor venue help mitigate the risk?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the delta variant is the predominant variant of the coronavirus in the United States. It causes more infections and spreads faster than earlier forms of the virus.

It's more than twice as contagious as previous variants. And one thing is certain: unvaccinated people remain the greatest concern, and are the most vulnerable.

The delta variant's average incubation period is less than four days. But tradition is also a powerful force.

"I think it's got everything," Roberts said of the Kern County Fair. "It's the ultimate fun time. It's tradition.

"I grew up in Bakersfield," she said. "It's just something I look forward to every year."

Reporter Steven Mayer can be reached at 661-395-7353. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter: @semayerTBC.