The State Fair was cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Annapolis, Md (KM) With the cancellation of the Maryland State Fair for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Comptroller’s Office says it will be looking for other ways to get the message out of about unclaimed property being held by the state.
During the Fair, the Comptroller’s Office sets up a booth with its computers, and helps residents find out if the state is holding any unclaimed property, such as abandoned bank accounts and insurance policies.
Last year at the Maryland State Fair, Comptroller Peter Franchot says his office was able to find at total of $271,000 in unclaimed property for 250 visitors. “If we handed out $271,000 last year, there’s dollars to donuts there’s another $271,000 this year,” he said.
This year, the Maryland State Fair will be holding The Youth and Open Livestock Show from Friday, August 28th until Monday, September 7th. There will be no public admission, but Franchot says the Comptroller’s Office social media page will show highlights of the livestock show to keep citizens updated on what’s happening.
Franchot says it’s also a chance for the Comptroller’s Office to promote the unclaimed property it’s holding. Even though Marylanders can look up the information on line by themselves, Franchot says it’s more fun to help people do it at the State Fair. “You’re visible. You’ve got the computers right there. Everybody’s in a good mood. They can stop by and give you their name. It’s a cheerful kind of environment. We don’t have that because of the COVID pandemic,” he says.
The Comptroller’s Office also sets up a booth at the Great Frederick Fair which usually takes place in mid-September. But that’s been canceled due to the coronavirus.
“I do miss the Fairs because the Fairs are fabulous expressions of our pride in our agriculture sector which is very, very significant in Maryland. Lot of people don’t realize that. Talking about a billion dollars in economic activity. So hats off to our agricultural families,” says Franchot.
But he’s confident the Fairs will be back in 2021. “I do think 2021 will be a fabulous year for the state of Maryland,” says Franchot. “There will be a medical solution {For COVID-19}, either a very good vaccine or therapy.”
By Kevin McManus