Fair organizers were unsure whether vendors had sold the merchandise in the past but wanted to be proactive, a spokeswoman told the Columbus Dispatch.
In Warren County, the fair board president said Confederate flag sales would not be permitted at this year’s fair, which starts Monday.
“At this point, we haven’t had any real issues,” said Gene Steiner, president of the agricultural society, better known as the fair board.
However, Steiner said contracts with vendors give the board the authority to “to take down or stop” any activities they find controversial.
In light of controversy about the Confederate flag after nine people were shot to death in a South Carolina church, Steiner said he expected that the board would take action, if necessary, to prevent its sale or display.
Clark County Fair board members have not taken any action on the sale of Confederate flag merchandise – and do not plan to do so — unless someone asks them to, said Allan Hess, executive director of the Clark County Agricultural Society.
“We have not restricted the sale of such items in the past,” he said. “The board has not taken up that issue.”
The shootings at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church occurred on June 17, and the accused shooter was shown in photos with the Confederate flag. The fair board met later that month, but the Confederate battle flag issue was not discussed, Hess said.
The board is scheduled to meet again next Saturday, he said.
“We have had conversations about it in the past (years) and we have chosen not to restrict a vendor from selling such materials,” Hess said. “With the controversy that’s been going on, I don’t know what the board will decide to do. But until somebody brings it up, until somebody complains” no action will be taken.
In the past few years, he said, the fair has not had “anybody selling that type of merchandise. So it may be a non-starter for us.”
Clark County Fair is scheduled to begin on July 24.
Butler County Fair board members met this week to discuss the issue but did not take action, Doug Turner, fair board president said. That means the flag could be sold there when the fair starts July 26.
“At this point, we will take the stance that if it’s there, it’s there,” Turner said.
At the 2006 Butler County Fair, a large amount of Confederate flag merchandise was available for purchase from vendors, leading to complaints from fair attendees.
Greene County Agricultural Society director Jeff Barr recalled seeing airbrush T-shirt vendors offering a Confederate flag design at past fairs.
“In the past we hadn’t had any issues with it. Nobody’s said anything about it until now,” he said.
The board plans to discuss the issue at its meeting Monday.
“It hadn’t come up in conversation until earlier this week with the Ohio State Fair and others discussing it,” Barr added.
The Greene County Fair starts Aug 2.
Jill Wright, secretary/manager of the Miami County Fair, said she was not aware of the Ohio State Fair announcement and didn’t know if the agricultural society would consider such a policy.
“We don’t have a policy in place at this point,” Wright said.
The Miami County Fair begins Aug. 14. Wright also said she is not aware of any Confederate flag merchandise being sold at the fair in the past.
The Ohio State Fair begins July 29.
Staff writers Lawrence Budd, Nick Blizzard and Annie Furia contributed to this report, as did contributing writer Nancy Bowman.
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