Board Votes To Pull The Plug On The 2020 California State Fair
By Marilyn Nelson on April 24, 2020
The Cal Expo board of directors have voted unanimously to cancel the 2020 California State Fair due to the pandemic. The Sacramento Bee reports the board couldn’t be sure it would be safe for patrons by the time the fair began on July 17th. The largest event on Sacramento’s calendar had been hanging by a thin thread of hope for weeks. Despite struggling with attendance over the past few years, last year’s fair drew more than 600,000 people to Cal Expo over its 17 day run.
“The significance of this decision — it is obviously heartfelt by all of us, not a decision that we took lightly,” said board chairman Jess Durfee.
Half of Cal Expo’s annual revenue comes from the state fair. It remains to be seen if Cal Expo will receive any additional funds from the state. Since COVID-19 struck, California’s finances have been under constant restructuring.
Earlier this week, the Sacramento County Fair, which was scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, was also canceled.
