Governor's ham breakfast Archives

Missouri State Fair cancels many activities, remains youth livestock show

July 17, 2020 By Ashley Byrd

The Missouri State Fair will feature the outdoor youth livestock showings, but the other traditional activities have been called off, because of COVID-19 safety concerns from vendors, guests and state agricultural officials.

The event runs Aug. 13-23, 2020 in Sedalia. In 2019, 337,112 individuals attended the fair. Youth livestock showings allow Future Farmers of America and 4-H Club members to compete for nearly $125,000 in premiums.

The Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia (2018 file photo courtesy of State Fair)

Opening Day Ceremony, Governor’s Ham Breakfast, the carnival midway and all other non-youth livestock-related events are canceled.

The state fair’s marketing director said in a press statement today:

The Fair takes pride in hosting a quality outdoor experience for all fairgoers. That success relies heavily on the support of our partners, sponsors and vendors. As those supporters have evaluated the effect the pandemic has had on their ability to participate, many have had to limit or cancel their participation. Limited concessions will be on grounds to service our exhibitors and their families.

Read history of Missouri State Fair.

Chinn: 2020 Missouri State Fair to continue with everything but concerts

June 19, 2020 By Ashley Byrd

Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn says the Missouri State Fair will take place as scheduled from August 13-23 in Sedalia. The concert lineup will be the only regular feature not included. She says that many performers have been backing out of shows this year because of COVID-19 concerns, so that helped the decision.

The fair will still feature carnival, exhibits, contests, livestock showings, vendors, and food.

Chinn says fair organizers are working with vendors to make sure they have safety measures in place.

It also includes the Governer’s Ham Breakfast, says Gov. Parson. About a thousand people mingle at the breakfast gathering with state and national leaders of both parties.

“They have a new facility there, we’re thinking about ways that we can control the crowd size to that and alternative things,” Parson said. “We may change things as we move forward about what attendance looks like— are we going to let people be bunched up or are we going to let them be separated by bleacher rows or whatever that is.”

Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Chris Chinn is recognized during a groundbreaking ceremony for Ranken Technical College’s new Troy campus on June 17, 2020 (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s Flickr page)

The governor notes that the state fair, which started in 1901, has only been canceled one time. That was during World War II.

More than 337,000 people attended the 2019 state fair.

Parson: Missouri State Fair will happen in August, likely without concerts (AUDIO)

June 11, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

While the governor says the Missouri State Fair will take place in August in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia, he says it will look different than previous years because of COVID-19 concerns.

The Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia (2018 file photo courtesy of State Fair)

Governor Mike Parson (R) made the announcement during a statehouse press conference in Jefferson City on Thursday.

“The state fair has only been canceled one time in over 100 years and it was during World War II,” Parson says. “As an ag governor, I guess I want to say somebody that comes from the farm, I don’t want it to be the second time on my watch that it’s canceled.”

The state fair will take place August 13-23. In response to questions from Missourinet, Governor Parson says there could be shorter hours and that some popular events may not happen.

“I doubt there will be a ham breakfast because it’s the governor’s ham breakfast so I doubt that I’m going to be asking for that, that I know of for that,” says Parson.

The 2019 governor’s ham breakfast was a sellout, with 1,000 tickets sold. The event is popular because of its food, but also because it’s an opportunity for Missouri voters to meet the governor, their congressional delegation and state lawmakers from both parties.

Governor Parson says details for vendors and other partners are still being worked out.

“More than likely there’s not going to be concerts there, there may not be a lot of vendors there, but again we haven’t sat down with (Missouri State Fair Director) Mark Wolfe and the (State Fair) Commission, so I don’t want to jump in front of them, we’re all trying to plan that together,” Parson says.

Governor Parson emphasizes the state fair is about supporting agriculture and youth in agriculture.

The Missouri State Fair has issued a statement, which says the fair’s mission has always been to showcase Missouri agriculture, “so our livestock shows will continue to honor that tradition.”

The statement also says they know the “countless hours our exhibitors and Fair families have put in to taking care of the livestock and 4-H and FFA projects,” and that their priority continues to be the promotion of excellence in Missouri agriculture and our future agriculture leaders.

More than 337-thousand people attended the 2019 State Fair.

The first Missouri State Fair took place in 1901, when Missouri’s population was two-thirds rural.

The state fairgrounds, which covers 396 acres, is open year-round in Sedalia. It also provides facilities for horse and livestock shows, arts and craft festivals and camping.

Click here to listen to Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s comments about the 2020 Missouri State Fair in Sedalia to Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and other Capitol reporters. The governor spoke in Jefferson City on June 11, 2020:

$8 million in upgrades planned at Missouri State Fairgrounds; 2019 fair opens Thursday (AUDIO)

August 5, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The 2019 State Fair opens Thursday morning in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia. It’s Missouri’s largest agricultural expo.

The Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia (2018 file photo courtesy of Missouri State Fair)

State Fair Director Mark Wolfe says the fair commission is waiving late fees for entries this year, because farmers have endured hardships from flooding and tornadoes.

“We decided to waive our late fees, and so we did it across-the-board for everything not just our livestock but for entries for everything that we did. As a whole, we decided let’s just waive that,” Wolfe says.

The opening ceremony is Thursday morning at 11, and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe is expected to keynote. Wolfe says about 350,000 people attended last year’s fair.

Thousands of Missourians are expected to make the trip to Sedalia for Thursday’s opening day.

Another big day will be August 15, which is the Governor’s ham breakfast. That begins at 8 a.m. The event normally draws more than 1,000 people to one large tent.

“It’s a popular event for sure,” says Wolfe. “A chance for folks if they want to have a chance to meet the governor face-to-face and meet their legislators face-to-face, that’s a great opportunity over there.”

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt and representatives from U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley are expected to attend the breakfast, along with other members of Missouri’s congressional delegation. The breakfast also attracts state lawmakers in both parties along with candidates and judges.

Meantime, more than $8 million in new upgrades and repairs to the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia have been approved by state lawmakers. Director Wolfe is thanking legislators for approving Governor Mike Parson’s recommendation, saying the improvements are needed.

“It’s a complete electrical upgrade to the swine barn, complete renovation to the old sheep pavilion out here,” Wolfe says. “Gosh, we got some more campground upgrades. A new campground, 150-site campground will be developed just for exhibitors only.”

Wolfe tells Missourinet he’s hopeful all of those improvements will be done by the 2020 State Fair.

Some rural lawmakers, including State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, have called for additional funding for the fair in previous years. Senator Libla has said that investing more money in facilities will pay dividends in the future.

2019 facility improvements and upgrades include a new ticket booth at the Centennial entrance and the remodeling of the Charolais barn.

This year’s fair ends on August 18.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe, which was recorded on July 26, 2019: