Add in-person events at the Tulare County Fair to the growing list of coronavirus-caused cancellations.
The Tulare County Fair board of directors voted Tuesday to cancel most in-person events, instead opting to hold the fair in a drive-thru capacity, allowing people to visit exhibits and vendors from their vehicles.
ADVERTISEMENT
Before this decision, the Fair had previously cancelled its summer concert series and all grandstand events.
The drive-thru event will be held from Sep. 18-20 and will cost $5 per person.
With mass gatherings banned in Tulare County – due to the county being on the state’s coronavirus targeted engagement watch list – the board would not have been allowed to hold the fair in the typical setting.
Fair CEO Dena Rizzardo told the Visalia Times-Delta that proceeds will cover operating costs, and the fair will host virtual online exhibits for free.
“We hope to break even,” Rizzardo told the Times-Delta. “This is not your normal fair. We’re not doing this to make millions. We’re doing this strictly as a community service.”
The fair’s livestock option is still scheduled for September, albeit without a live audience.
“It’s not something that’s easy to pull off, but we wanted to do something positive for the community,” Rizzardo told the Times-Delta. “People think the fair is just one week in September, but there’s a lot more that goes into it. The fair is all year long.”
