VENTURA – The 145th Ventura County Fair has been cancelled for 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The event, which was scheduled for Aug. 5 to 16, began in 1875 and has been an annual tradition — with the exception of during WWII when the fairgrounds was comandeered by the U.S. military to protect the west coast. The 12-day event welcomes nearly 300,000 people each year and has “an immeasurable economic impact” to Ventura County, officials announced earlier this week.
The Ventura County Fairgrounds Board of Directors voted unanimously May 4 to cancel the event, citing guidance from health and government officials and the “improbability that mass gatherings like the Ventura County Fair could safely and responsibly take place this summer,” officials said.
“Every year thousands of happy faces come through the fair gates to enjoy the County’s most timeless tradition,” said Barbara Quaid, Fair CEO. “It is because of those smiling faces that we are completely comfortable with this decision. We are already looking forward to welcoming everybody back in 2021 when we will resume the 145th Ventura County Fair. We encourage our Ventura County neighbors and friends to continue adhering to all public health guidelines so that we can all come together again in 2021.”
