North Carolina State Fair Canceled

Event had more than 900,000 attendees last year

For the first time since World War II, the North Carolina State Fair has been canceled. Organizers have confirmed the obvious reason: COVID-19. Many alternate scenarios were drawn up, from temperature checks to capacity limits, but the fair couldn’t ensure safety for attendees. The event saw more than 900,000 visitors in 2019.

“We’ve hoped our state’s numbers would turn around,” organizers said in a Facebook post. “We’ve hoped for the health of our friends and families as we see so many struggling. We’ve hoped we’d find a way to give everyone something to look forward to. The N.C. State Fair means so much to so many. Our staff has struggled through work groups looking for solutions. How can we manage food lines? How can the carnival be successful with cleaning between each rider? How can we successfully sanitize? How can we work with our partners to get people to the Fair safely? Are there any parts of the Fair that could follow guidelines and still go on? The discussions have been complex and difficult.”