MONROE, Wash. — The 2020 Evergreen State Fair was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Snohomish County officials announced Friday.
It is the first time since World War II that the fair has been canceled. During the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1920, the fair was canceled, officials said.
After consulting with Snohomish Health District and county leaders, fair officials made the decision to halt the fair scheduled for August 27-September 7.
In a statement, Evergreen State Fair Park division manager Jeremy Husby said:
"The 2020 Evergreen State Fair would have been the 112th Fair in our long and rich history. Until very recently, we held out the hope that we could still produce the best possible Fair to educate and entertain our guests. Unfortunately, we had to make the very tough but necessary decision to cancel the Fair. The Fair should be a time for community celebration and sharing, not anxiety. Public health and safety have always been, and will always be, our top priority. In addition to our guests, we have a responsibility to provide a safe experience for our volunteers, sponsors, vendors, entertainers, employees, animals, and the entire community. We will not produce an event that doesn’t fully honor our stakeholders and guests.
"Cancelling the Fair and many of the year-round events hosted at the Fair Park is having a significant economic impact on the park and county budget. We realize this decision will have an economic impact on our Fair participants and local businesses who depend on the Fair for their livelihood. Our overriding goal is to save lives and keep our community healthy. We are developing ideas to be creative with exhibits, competitions and entertainment to keep our cherished Fair family and community connected.
“We are looking forward to the time when events are open again and especially when we can all gather to celebrate at the 2021 Fair, scheduled for August 26-September 6.”
For those looking for information about Evergreen State Fair Park, visit EvergreenFair.org.
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