SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — The San Diego County Fair Board on Tuesday announced this year's county fair has been postponed until 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The health and safety of our community takes precedence during this unprecedented time of crisis,” said Tim Fennell, CEO/General Manager of the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
The fairgrounds are currently on standby to be utilized for Emergency Operations Services at any time.
It is currently partnered with the San Diego Food Bank to serve as a food distribution site, have donated several hundred N95 masks to health care providers and will continue looking for ways to serve the community.
“The San Diego County Fair is a beloved family tradition for more than 1.5 million San Diegans each year, as well as a source of livelihood for numerous individuals and businesses. Yet with the continued impacts of COVID-19, postponing this year’s Fair is the right thing to do," said Fennell.
The annual fair had been set to take place from June 5 through July 5 under the "Heroes, Unite!" superhero theme.
"The Fair's theme couldn't be more relevant," a statement read, paying tribute to medical workers on the front lines of the pandemic. "Now, more than ever, we're acutely aware that some of our very greatest heroes walk among us."
The "Heroes, Unite!" theme will be carried over to the 2021 fair.
San Diego Comic-Con, another of San Diego's biggest summer events, has yet to announced if they will move forward with this year's event or also postpone.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday revealed an outline for lifting coronavirus restrictions in the nation's most populous state. Newsom said he wants to see hospitalization numbers flatten and decline before he begins rolling back stay-at-home orders. But he said things won't look the same when the state reopens.
He said waiters at restaurants will likely be wearing masks and gloves. And he said public schools could stagger the times when students arrive to maintain social distancing.
California has been under a statewide stay-at-home order since March 19. Since then, more than 2 million Californians have filed for unemployment benefits.