2020 Washington State Fair canceled due to coronavirus concerns
PUYALLUP, Wash. - The 2020 Washington State Fair is canceled because of coronavirus concerns, fair organizers announced.
The fair, which happens each year in Puyallup, has been around for 120 years.
Organizers said they would take the extra time to produce a great state fair in 2021.
Other drive-in summer events were still planned, including the drive-in concert series, drive-in movie night, and drive-thru fair food-to-go.
Read the full statement from fair organizers below:
The Washington State Fair has featured the best of our state for the past 120 years. We have met the challenges of fires and floods, withstood changes in culture and the challenges of time and, except for the four years of World War II, operated uninterrupted that entire span.
Now, after thoughtful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Fair. At its core, any fair, ours included, is a people-gathering event, the more people the better. That hypothesis runs contrary to the challenges of containing this pandemic. Consequently, though it was a difficult decision, it was really the only decision possible based on what we currently know. It was a decision made in what we feel are the best interests of the health and safety of all of our guests, our employees, our exhibitors; basically all of our constituents.
We realize this action will have severe impacts, both emotionally and financially, on all of our partners. We know that not having a fair this year creates a hardship for many, but people are the most important component in the incredibly complex equation of what makes up our fair. Health and safety are our greatest concerns. There are other concerns. Our people, our fair people, have expectations of what the Washington State Fair will be; that wonderful blend of exciting new things and rich traditions. The potential limitations brought on by the necessity of social distancing, would create a situation that could not reflect the future memories that we would want the 2020 Fair to produce.
There are so many things that we will miss by not hosting our Fair this year: the livestock, the carnival, the fair food, the Farm at SillyVille, the rodeo, the concerts, all the exhibits, the commercial vendors, and too many other things to mention. But most of all, we will miss you, our Fair friends. So though we have hit the pause button on preparations for this year’s Washington State Fair, we will take this time to ensure that we can produce a great fair in 2021.
Since 1900, the Washington State Fair has been “Washington’s home to gather and celebrate.” We want to make certain that we remain that home for generations to come. This is our mission statement and we intend to welcome you all home as soon as we can.