Perhaps the largest entertainment event in the region, the Lea County Fair & Rodeo returns this year after missing 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fair & Rodeo will host a week of various events for people in the community and visitors alike.
However, around the country concerns are growing about the “delta variant” of COVID-19 which is spreading quickly among the unvaccinated. Lea County in particular has a low percentage of vaccinated residents and the Fair & Rodeo is expected to attract many people from out of town, especially West Texas.
Early reports also suggest that the new variant can infect and be spread by vaccinated people, though they generally experience lesser symptoms. The CDC recently revised its recommendations for the vaccinated suggesting they wear masks indoors while in public, particularly in areas of “substantial or high transmission”. Lea County is currently listed as a high transmission area.
Despite the concern, the Lea County Fair & Rodeo will continue this year. While the pandemic is not over, the rollout of vaccinations has paved the way for people to feel safe going about business as usual, though it’s still important to take precautions.
The Lea County Fair & Rodeo organizers will not be enforcing a mask mandate or require vaccinations for attendance, making the event a particularly susceptible avenue for spreading the new delta variant. This should be particularly worrying for the unvaccinated population as COVID-19 infection carries risk of significant health effects and death for people who have not been vaccinated.
Many of the events will take place outdoors which will help protect against potential spread. There will be several indoor events, though, including vendor booths in the Chaparral and Zia buildings as well as arts & craft exhibits in the Yucca building.
As usual, the Fair & Rodeo will include livestock shows, a nightly carnival and a PRCA rodeo. There will also be a concert series featuring Clay Walker, Confederate Railroad and more. For an overview of the lineup of Fair & Rodeo activities, click here. A full schedule of events is available via PDF of the Lea County Fair Book.
General admission is $10 and children are $5. Kids five years old and younger are free. Admission before 5:00 pm is free. There is also free admission all day on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday.
Additional information is available on the Lea County website.
