‘It’s going to be a really sad place out here’: NC State Fair won’t happen this fall
For the first time since World War II, North Carolina has pulled the plug on its biggest show of the fall.
N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced on Wednesday that the 2020 N.C. State Fair, scheduled for October 15-25, is canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have hoped, we have prayed and we have schemed and we have thought and thought and thought,” Troxler said. “But at the end of the day, we have to make the best decision that we can make with the information that we have at hand.”
Troxler cited a survey of previous fairgoers, with 65% of those questioned saying they would be hesitant to attend the fair this year. In addition to concerns about the safety of fairgoers, staff and vendors, Troxler said it was clear that a fair this year would not be well-attended and would not be profitable.
“We are just like every private business that has been impacted by this pandemic,” Troxler said. “We cannot afford to put on a fair and not have anybody show up.”
The State Fair operates on the revenue it generates and does not receive funds from the N.C. Legislature, Troxler said. The fair costs about $6.8 million to produce annually.
Events are held year-round at the NC State Fairgrounds, and so far, 186 events have been canceled because of the pandemic. Those cancellations mean a $2.3 million loss in revenue since February, according to the State Fair office.
The State Fair attracted nearly 1 million visitors in 2019, with avenues throughout the fairgrounds often crammed with people, shoulder-to-shoulder.
“This is a glad place in October, it doesn’t get any better,” Troxler said. “I see all the people with the smiles on their faces, the kids out here enjoying themselves. And this October, it’s going to be a really sad place out here.”
Officials put off the decision on the fair for as long as they could, in hopes that the state’s coronavirus case numbers and hospitalizations would start to trend downward.
‘Makes very good sense’
Dr. Emily Sickbert-Bennett, director of infection prevention at UNC Hospitals, said on Wednesday that the decision to cancel the fair “makes very good sense” considering that the virus is still spreading in North Carolina.
Sickbert-Bennett said not only does the fair bring together people from all over the state and beyond, it’s an environment where people are less likely to wear a mask or face covering.
“Mask use can be required for these types of events, but one of the times when we know that mask use just isn’t feasible is when you’re eating and drinking,” she said. “And of course eating is a large part of the fun for people at the State Fair.”
Earlier this month, state officials canceled the Mountain State Fair, Western North Carolina’s annual fair in Fletcher, but said they would still host a junior livestock show. That fair had been scheduled for Sept. 11-20.
North Carolina held its first State Fair in 1853. It has run every year since then with the exception of 1861 to 1868, because of the Civil War and Reconstruction; 1926 to 1927, when the Agricultural Society disbanded; and from 1942 to 1945, during World War II.
In 2018, the fair’s opening day was canceled because of Hurricane Michael.
Still on: drive-thru fair food, livestock and horses
To ease the pain of a statewide fried-food withdrawal, the State Fair crew will revive the “drive-thru” events they started earlier this summer, offering some of the fair’s most popular food items to go.
Visitors can enjoy both deep-fried and frozen fair treats without ever having to leave their cars.
The fair will also hold Junior Livestock Shows Oct. 15-25, and State Fair Horse Shows, also in October.
Get more information at ncstatefair.org.
Festivals and other events canceled
Two large music festivals, Hopscotch and IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, both canceled their downtown Raleigh festivals, previously scheduled for September, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Raleigh City Council also canceled all festivals, road races and parades through October.
There is currently a statewide face mask order in effect in North Carolina, which is stalled in Phase 2 of Gov. Roy Cooper’s reopening plan. Restaurants are able to open at limited capacity, but bars and gyms are still closed.
Sporting events, concerts and other gatherings in North Carolina have been canceled since the end of March, though NASCAR has held some races with limited fans in attendance.
Staff writer Richard Stradling contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 10:05 AM.
