MEDINA, Ohio — After holding a special meeting to plan for the 2020 Medina County Fair, the board of directors determined that it would not ban the display or sale of Confederate flags. However, vendors have voluntarily agreed not to sell or display them at the fair this year.
Before the meeting, the fair board said it sought legal counsel about the potential banning of Confederate flag displays and sales.
The board said that because county agricultural societies are political subdivisions, when they hold fairs some of the activities are considered governmental functions and therefore “a proposed ban of the sale of Confederate flags at the Medina County Fair is subject to Constitutional challenges.”
Despite the decision not to formally ban the sale or display of Confederate flags at the fair, the Chairperson of the Outside Concessions Committee spoke with vendors attending the fair, who voluntarily agreed not to display the flags or sell them.
The Medina County Fair board said it had a conversation with vendors because it “welcomes all visitors, exhibitors, volunteers, as well as concessionaires” and said that the board is “sensitive to the social issues related to the Confederate flag.”
The Medina County Fair will celebrate its 175th anniversary on August 3 through August 9 after deciding to hold the fair after previously voting to postpone until next year.
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