BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - The Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo announced the cancellation of the event Tuesday, leaving the area with yet another event cancelled due to COVID-19. Last week, the Texas Reds festival was canceled.
Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo organizer Carl Kolbe says they took a lot into consideration when making the decision.
“We came to the conclusion that it wasn’t right to do the fair,” said Kolbe. “There was too much exposure for folks and there was no real way to control it really.”
The event typically draws 20,000 people from all over the state. With the spread of COVID-19 hitting record breaking numbers in the last couple of days, organizers say they felt more comfortable not bringing huge crowds together.
The local economy will feel an impact. The BV Fair & Rodeo brings in nearly $500,000 to the local economy from visitors spending money at hotels, restaurants and stores.
“It is our signature event. Our other events only range from about 500 to 2,500 people,” said Kolbe.
A big part of the event is the Youth Livestock Show. Kolbe says they are planning on hosting it with safety measures in place.
“What we were all in agreement was having a livestock show and being able to provide those scholarships, which is what we do,” Kolbe said.
That decision was a relief for participants like Madison Colvin. She is an incoming senior, so this is her last year to compete in the Youth Livestock Show.
“We put time, money and effort into these animals and being able to exhibit them and have the opportunity to earn scholarships, earn prizes back for all of our hard work, is really important to kids in the livestock community,” said Colvin.
Colvin is relieved the show is still happening because has spent the last few months raising pigs that she planned to show at this year’s Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo. She says she spends hours every single day grooming, feeding, and training the animals.
“A pig may not sound like it costs a lot but the feed that goes into that thing is unbelievable,” said Colvin. “We spend a lot of money on these animals but like I said, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
The plans for the livestock show are not finalized but the goal is to host it mid-October. The 2020 BVFR will award more than $30,000 in awards and scholarships this year.
The fair is set to return next year, October 15-17 and 22-24, 2021.
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A look at the economic impact of BV Fair & Rodeo cancellation - KBTX
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