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.
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.”
