Topsfield Board Of Health Orders Masks Indoors At 2021 Fair

TOPSFIELD — The Topsfield Board of Health issued a mandate this week ordering all visitors to the Topsfield Fair to wear a face mask while indoors on the fairgrounds.

The Topsfield Fair, which will return Oct. 1 through Oct. 11 this year after being canceled last year because of the coronavirus crisis, had already put a message on its website encouraging guests to wear masks at all times while at the event.

But the Board's indoor mask mandate makes the order enforceable. The Board issued the mandate at its meeting Monday night.

"Our goal is to always provide a safe and enjoyable atmosphere at the Topsfield Fair," Topsfield Fair General Manager James O'Brien said. "We will inform people about this mandate on our website as well as signs posted outside and inside the fairgrounds.

"In addition to requiring masks inside the buildings, we encourage fairgoers to use the hundreds of handwashing and hand sanitizing stations throughout the fairgrounds and ask anyone that is not feeling well to stay home."

Fair organizers said in July that the Topsfield Fair will return this year after last year's fair was canceled because of the coronavirus crisis for only the third time in its 203-year history.

It was previously canceled because of the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 and World War II.

The Topsfield Fair drew 38,000 people during its last opening weekend in 2019.

On Oct. 4, the Topsfield Fair will also hold a sensory sensitive day that will be much quieter for those who require that because of an autistic family member or one with sensory processing disorder.

Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

More Patch Coverage: Topsfield Fair To Offer Day For Sensory Sensitive Visitors