SANGAMON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - Those who have been vaccinated can get in free at the Sangamon County Fair in 2021!
Organizers announced people can get free admission by showing their COVID-19 vaccine card with ID at the gate. Each person must have received at least their first dose. Those who do not show their vaccine card (age 5 and up) must pay the $10 admission fee.
There will be a free onsite vaccine clinic from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day the fair runs (June 16-20), and people can get their gate admission refunded if they get their vaccine.
“This year, Sangamon County celebrates its 200th birthday, and as we all know, we haven’t been able to celebrate much of anything in the traditional way," said Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy VanMeter. "We thought this would be a great way to celebrate our bicentennial and at the same time raise awareness and encourage residents to get their vaccines."
“We are excited to partner with Sangamon County on this program as we believe it will encourage people to come out to the county fair and also help get our vaccination rates up in Sangamon County,” said Nathan Smith, president of the Sangamon County Fair board. “Our fair was canceled last year with almost everything else, so we hope to have one of our best years yet.”
“This is a great opportunity to raise awareness and reach an audience that we might not have been able to otherwise,” said Gail O’Neill, director of the Sangamon County Department of Public Health. “We are trying to do everything we can to provide access to the COVID-19 vaccine. We will always remember that we did our best to safely celebrate the county’s bicentennial year during a pandemic.”
