There has been a county Fair in San Diego every year since 1880, but amid concerns over the Covid-19 crisis, the 22nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors announced on Tuesday that the San Diego County Fair will not take place in 2020. The organization released a statement that said, "we believe it is the responsible decision to postpone the San Diego County Fair to 2021."
DEL MAR, Calif. (April 14, 2020) – Based on Governor Gavin Newsom’s press conference today, mass gatherings are not likely to be allowed for the foreseeable future. Therefore, we believe it is the responsible decision to postpone the San Diego County Fair to 2021. The postponement of the Fair was announced at today’s monthly 22nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors meeting at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. We encourage all San Diegans to continue adhering to all public health guidelines so that the Fair can return in 2021.
“The health and safety of our community takes precedence during this unprecedented time of crisis,” said Tim Fennell, CEO/General Manager of the Del Mar Fairgrounds. “The San Diego County Fair is a beloved family tradition for more than 1.5 million San Diegans each year, as well as a source of livelihood for numerous individuals and businesses. Yet with the continued impacts of COVID-19, postponing this year’s Fair is the right thing to do.”
This Fair’s theme couldn’t be more relevant: Heroes, Unite! Now, more than ever, we’re acutely aware that some of our very greatest heroes walk among us. We are so thankful to the healthcare workers and first responders who are keeping our communities safe, the teachers who keep our children learning and the countless community heroes who are going to extraordinary efforts to help others during this great time of need. That’s why we’ll be proud to carry this theme through to next year’s Fair – honoring the heroes who continue to emerge throughout our community.
Making the decision to postpone this year’s Fair was no easy feat. The Fair is truly a labor of love that our staff, vendors, sponsors, community members and volunteers pour many months of planning into. Yet, as the largest annual event in San Diego County and one of the top five fairs in North America, we’re following the recommendations of public health officials to postpone mass gatherings until it is safe to host them again.
For now, we are currently on standby to be utilized for Emergency Operations Services at any time. We’ve partnered with the San Diego Food Bank to serve as a food distribution site, have donated several hundred N95 masks to health care providers and will continue looking for ways to serve the community.
We will also continue to heed advice from Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Department of Food & Agriculture and the California Department of Public Health as we move forward. We will begin hosting and planning future events once it has been deemed safe to do so.
Until then, stay healthy and strong, San Diego. We can’t wait to celebrate the heroes among us at next year’s Fair.
Image courtesy of San Diego County Fair