Community members raise concerns after denied entry to state fair

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– Some community members are raising concerns after they say they were denied entry to the state fair over its youth admission policy.

Some say they were turned away because they were not the biological parent of the child they were supervising.

The fair’s Director of Safety Matt Lashuma says the fair’s policy which has been in place since 2004 was updated in 2024 to state that anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent *all day* on Friday and Saturday.

However, Sunday through Thursday, the policy does not start until 5 p.m. meaning teenagers are allowed without a parent before 5 o’clock on those days.

Fair officials say you can research the fair’s “plan your visit” section of its website for additional details.