The Warren County Fair may have been canceled, but to use an old phrase, the livestock shows (and auction) must go on.

Young exhibitors with 4-H and FFA brought their hogs, sheep, steers and more to the fairgrounds Monday and Tuesday to demonstrate the quality of their animals and their showmanship. Co-coordinator Steve Molitor said on Monday that despite some changes to account for COVID-19, the events were going smoothly.

“It’s been going really good. Everybody’s chipping in, there’s been lots of help,” Molitor said. “Nothing seems really different. There’s less people, but it’s the same atmosphere. Everybody’s excited to show, everybody’s excited to be here.”

In fact, some of this year’s adjustments actually made life less hectic for the organizers, Molitor said. Exhibitors this year were instructed to bring their animals before the start of each show, then leave with the animals immediately after.

Only having one group of animals coming and going at a time is easier to manage, Molitor said, rather than having them all checked in at the beginning of the week and housed at the fairgrounds for the whole week.

When asked if the changes might carry over into future years, Molitor said the possibility could be discussed.

He said the number of exhibitors this year is a little lower than previous years, possibly due to planning and health concerns. But the livestock arena at the fairgrounds had a healthy number of participants and spectators in and around the ring this week.

Also live this week is an online auction to substitute for what is normally the big end to Fair Week for livestock exhibitors. Rather than having hundreds of bidders crowd into the livestock pavilion at the fairgrounds, organizers chose an online format that bidders can access through the Warren County Livestock Committee Facebook page.

Bidding on animals opened June 27 and continues through the evening of July 2. A rapid-fire “live” auction for final bids will cap the evening.

“On Thursday, July 2 at 6 p.m., the first animal on the sale bill on the online auction will go up for final bids,” said co-coordinator Kelly Colbert. “We will wait until no final bids are being made. ... Once no additional bids are made for that animal, that animal will be sold, and the second animal on the sale bill will go up for sale.”

About 140 show animals will be sold at auction this year. After the in-person auction was canceled, auctioneer Kent Jacobsmeyer stepped up to arrange for the online format, organizers said.

Molitor commented that animals had already been receiving bids throughout the week, and that he’s confident supporters will come through for the youth exhibitors, even if they can’t be there in person.

Non-livestock exhibits from local 4-H clubs have been rescheduled for Aug. 3, said coordinator Carey Benne. The exhibits, which can include crafts, baking and a variety of other categories, are normally part of the youth competition at the fair each year. They will instead be hosted at the Warren County MU Extension building this year, Benne said.

“Those that are picked for the state fair will stay, and then they’ll represent Warren County at the Missouri State Fair,” Benne commented. “Since we didn’t have a fair, there wasn’t really a way to show exhibits. ... Instead of trying to rush kids to projects done by ‘normal’ Fair Week, we decided to let them have a little more time.”