Washington State Fair Has Been Canceled Over COVID-19 Concerns

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The 2020 Washington State Fair has been canceled.

The Washington State Fair was originally scheduled to begin Sept. 4. It typically draws more than a million visitors to Puyallup.

This is the second time in the fair's 120-year history the fair has been canceled.

"We have met the challenges of fires and floods, withstood changes in culture and the challenges of time and, except for the four years of World War II, operated uninterrupted that entire span," spokesperson Stacy Van Horne said in a statement.

The decision to cancel was announced in light of a surge of COVID-19 cases across Washington. Pierce County has seen daily case increases, causing the health director to withdraw his application for an expanded Phase 2 of the Safe Start plan.

The fair would be allowed in Phase 4 of the Safe Start plan. The Washington State Fair said it is a people-gathering event, which is contrary to the challenges of containing the coronavirus pandemic.

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"Consequently, though it was a hard decision, it was really the only decision possible based on what we currently know," Van Horne said.

The Washington State Fair is the largest in the Pacific Northwest. The fairgrounds bring in more than $246.5 million to the state economy through business, revenue and taxes.

City of Puyallup officials told The News Tribune for a story detailing the economic-impact of the fair that the city would take a hit without the tax revenues from the fair.

"Puyallup just wouldn't be Puyallup without the fair," city spokesperson Brenda Fritsvold previously said. "It's a part of our community character, and it's one of the primary things that visitors associate with Puyallup."

Many local organizations, including churches, restaurants and non-profits, also would lose income.

The revenue of parking cars for First Christian Church of Puyallup is half of the church's budget. Robin Crabb, volunteer and worship chair for the church, told The News Tribune she isn't sure how the church would pay for a new pastor or continue programs without that income.

"That's a big chunk of money to go without," she said. "There are no alternatives that are going to bring in that amount of money for the church."