SC state fair prepares for busy first weekend with safety measures

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — The fair is in town and this weekend will see larger numbers of people coming to state fairgrounds for the big event.

With all these people, it requires a lot of preparation and upkeep from fair staff and partner agencies.

“What I can tell you is that there is a lot of time, resources, effort and money put in to make sure this is as safe as we can make it,” said Matt LaSchuma, South Carolina State Fair director of safety.

The state fair reports more than 400,000 visitors come through its gates each year. 

“They can expect a little bit of a wait when they get to the gate. There’s some security procedures in place,” said Harry Polis with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. “There will be metal detectors and bag searches. The state fair has a clear bag policy that is modeled after the University of South Carolina’s for game day.”

Another policy does not allow people under the age of 18 to be in the state fair after 5 in the evening without a parent. 

“The reason we do that is because at night when there’s a lot of kids running through the fair without parents is when we tend to have the most issues,” Polis said. “We want to prevent that on the front end.”

With over 200 deputies working during the state fair, Polis hopes it deters theft. 

“If your property is stolen while you’re here, you just need to find a deputy and we’ll do a report for you,” Polis said. “Our goal is to prevent it. We feel that with high visibility, people should be deterred from stealing but we do know it happens.”

He advises you to seek out law enforcement if anything goes wrong while at the fair.

The fair itself has a command center in place. In the event of a major disaster, SLED and other agencies could be contacted to help. 

“We’re very lucky with the partnerships that we’ve cultivated and continued to maintain,” DeSchuma said.

Both deputies and fair staff believe that all are in place for you to have a safe, fun time at this year’s event. Deputy Polis also reminds people that alcohol is not allowed at the fair. 

“When you come to the state fair, we want you to be sober,” the deputy said. “We want you to come, have a great time and make memories with your family.”

This weekend, fair admission hours last until 9 at night. The fair itself stays open until 11 or midnight.