Folding chairs set up for the now-canceled Jersey County Fair Parade sit in the rain along State Street.

JERSEYVILLE - The Jersey County Fair Parade and all other fair activities have been canceled for tonight following nearly nonstop rain in Jerseyville on Tuesday.

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Jersey County Fair Board President Phil Ringhausen confirmed the cancellation Tuesday afternoon. He said the parade itself and all fairground activities scheduled for tonight, including the Talent Show, have been canceled due to the wet and muddy conditions at the fairgrounds.

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“We’re trying to make the right call for the safety of people so that we don’t have accidents or vehicles getting hit or anything due to the wet grounds and the mud,” Ringhausen said. He emphasized that fair organizers are volunteers, underscoring the need for patience from the public as plans change.

While the Talent Show may be rescheduled for Sunday afternoon, Ringhausen said rescheduling the parade is unlikely as they typically need to apply to close the highway three months in advance.

The cancellation marks a rare occurrence for the Fair Parade, which is usually held without incident every year. Ringhausen said he’s only known of two other times the parade has been canceled - once in the early 1980’s due to heavy lightning and again in 2016 or 2017 due to heavy rain.

He added that Wednesday night’s fair activities, including the 2024 Miss & Little Miss Jersey County Fair Queen Pageant, are still on as originally scheduled. See the Jersey County Fair website for a full lineup of events and activities, and see the Jersey County Fair Facebook page for updates.

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