“What I think that the spring fair does is it shows people that with certain restrictions, with wearing masks, with social distancing, with getting vaccinated, there is a path to normalcy,” said Liz Swaine, chairman of the board of the State Fair of Louisiana.

It is certainly no secret that obesity is a serious and growing problem in the U.S. Recent CDC reports show almost 40 percent of adults over age 20 are obese, and 7.7 percent are severely obese. Currently, there are both surgical and nonsurgical options available to assist patients in tackling this issue.

“We don’t curl up in a ball and cry about the situation,” said the executive director of Prize Foundation, which oversees Prize Fest. “We make lemons into lemonade. We immediately started to do that. There was never a consideration – ever – that we would be skipping a year.

“The neat thing about it is the one brand, TownePlace Suites by Marriott, will have complete, full kitchens.” Williams said. It’s designed for the extended-stay guest – if a person wants to stay in the area for business or lifestyle changes.