RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina State Fair is the latest event to succumb to coronavirus concerns.

North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced Wednesday that the State Fair will be canceled this year for the first time World War II.

“I can think of a thousand places I’d rather be today than here delivering this news,” Troxler said in a statement. “The State Fair is a tradition we all look forward to each year. It’s a vital economic engine for local non-profits, community groups, small businesses and individuals. It’s a time for family and friends to come together to celebrate everything that makes North Carolina such a great place to live. We waited as long as we could, hoping the numbers would take a turn and we’d be able to continue with our planning, but each day brought more challenges than solutions.”

 

According to the statement, several factors were considered:

  • safety and health of visitors, vendors, competitors and staff
  • current COVID-19 statistics in the state
  • North Carolina’s pause in Phase II of reopening thus limiting the size of gatherings
  • contracts that cannot be canceled at the last minute without a financial impact on the N.C. State Fair and the vendor
  • and the long-term financial health of the N.C. State Fair.

“We looked at so many different factors,” Fair Manager Kent Yelverton said in the statement. “From social distancing, face masks, temperature checks and capacity limits to the true minutia most wouldn’t think about until you are in the moment like social distancing on our shuttle buses, cleaning carnival equipment between riders, overlapping food lines and stringent cleaning schedules. To offer anything less than what fairgoers have come to know and love would be a disservice to our community and to us. There is no halfway when producing a fair. The people, the lights, the rides, the smells, the music…all of that contributes to an atmosphere that can only be felt during a fair.”

The State Fair, which began in 1853, was to be held October 15-25. It generally attracts around a million visitors every year.