As fall draws near, so do the festivals, carnivals, and fairs where Nonnewaug High School students along with locals from both Bethlehem and Woodbury gather to celebrate. However in a COVID-19 world, festivities like these are often canceled. Even long-standing town traditions, like the Woodbury Fireman’s Carnival and the Bethlehem Fair, have been canceled this year because of the pandemic. 

Chris Stowell, a senior at NHS and Vo-Ag member, said, “ I was disappointed to hear that (the Bethlehem Fair) wouldn’t happen this year. I was excited for many of my friends to compete in competitions and for the Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter to advocate to the public our mission, purpose, and the experiences that Agriscience students obtain.” 

He added, “our animals certainly miss the audience, but have been at shows throughout the summer and have always performed great and have gotten those ribbons!”

 Along with  FFA students, teachers and leaders of the NHS Agriscience Department were sad to say goodbye to the The Eastern States Exposition a.k.a. “The Big E”, where exemplary FFA students have attended and competed against eastern states in the past. NHS Agriscience teacher Eric Birkenberger noted, “this would have been a great chance for students to practice skills and test knowledge before competing at the National FFA Convention.”  

Many teachers and students are already making plans for alternate fall events that will follow the CDC guidelines, making it safe for students to attend. Stowell said, “the FFA officer team is hard at work planning and developing (COVID-safe) events for members to gain the valuable life skills and fond memories traditionally put on throughout the year.” 

Some have already found new ways to spread the fall season with a drive through community food truck event. The COVID-safe event was held at the Bethlehem Fairgrounds on October 17 and 18th. Tyler Lavaway, a NHS senior who volunteered at the drive-thru event, called it “making the best out of a bad situation”. 

“I volunteered for the first food truck opening at the Bethlehem Fairgrounds and it was fun,” said Anna Rupe, a senior at NHS. “Everyone there was very nice and the food was delicious. After being there I realized how much I missed fair season, but this was a perfect substitute.”