Will we have a Mid-State Fair this year? SLO County Public Health says it’s ‘unlikely’

The Mid-State Fair is hoping this summer’s big event can still take place as planned, but on Friday, County Public Health Officer Penny Borenstein expressed reservations about that possibility.

“I think it unlikely there will be enough information by the time of the Mid-State Fair for our county to deem it acceptable or safe to allow that event to occur,” she told The Tribune via email.

“I have been telling all manner of folks with public (e.g., large athletic gatherings) or private (weddings) inquiries of a similar nature, it is important to develop a timeline of ‘drop dead’ dates as to when final decisions need to be made for cancellation of such events. Set the conditions to cancel or postpone when those points in time arrive.”

Borenstein added that the fair can continue planning, “but they should do so with an awareness that they may need to cancel, all or part.”

“I would expect that such decisions would be made with input from all parties, including the county, as we move forward,” she emailed. “Should we feel the need to order cancellation, we would do that much closer to the date.”

The Mid-State Fair has been crossing its fingers ever since the stay-at-home order was issued.

“It is our sincere hope that we are able to put on the 2020 California Mid-State Fair as scheduled, July 22-Aug. 2,” fair spokesman Tom Keffury said via email. “The feedback we have received from the community, vendors and sponsors has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive.”

That’s admirable optimism, but it’s time for a hard reality check.

It’s true the fair is still roughly three months out, but it’s hard to envision that an event that drew 426,000 fairgoers last year and thrives on personal contact — from people sitting (or standing) shoulder-to-shoulder at concerts to waiting in queues for carnival rides and cotton candy — would not be affected.

The fair is considering alternatives, including postponing until a later date.

It is committed to moving ahead with the Junior Livestock Auction. Given that young 4-H and FFA members already have put lots of time and effort into raising animals to sell at the fair, that’s the right thing to do. Also, it’s an event that could be set up to allow for proper social distancing.

Opening exhibit halls and allowing some outside vendors might work as well, as long as there’s enough room for distancing.

But a grandstand concert? A packed carnival midway?

Sorry, but right now that sounds about as appealing as getting on a cruise ship, and it may take longer than a few months for that feeling of anxiety to fade.

Governor’s prognosis

While he didn’t single out any particular event, Gov. Gavin Newsom has pretty much said crowded events won’t be happening for a long time.

“The prospect of mass gatherings is negligible at best until we get to herd immunity and we get to a vaccine,” he said at Tuesday’s press briefing. “So large-scale events that bring in hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of strangers altogether across every conceivable difference, health and otherwise, is not in the cards based upon our current guidelines and current expectations.”

A coronavirus vaccine, as we’ve heard repeatedly, is still more than a year away.

Until then, we’ll be taking baby steps along the road back to normal.

To be fair, the Mid-State Fair isn’t alone in postponing an announcement of what seems like the inevitable.

The Santa Barbara County Fair, held in Santa Maria, also continues to plan for its fair, scheduled from July 15-19.

A decision on whether or not to go ahead with the event probably won’t be made until the end of May, according to CEO Richard Persons.

Most county fairs with earlier start dates have already canceled, including the Salinas Valley Fair in King City, scheduled for May 14-17; the San Diego fair, June 5-July 5; San Mateo, June 13-21; San Joaquin, June 18-21; and Marin, July 1-5.

Mid-State Fair is an economic driver

Few county fairs in California have as much at stake as the Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles.

The event is widely known for its ability to attract big-name recording artists — this year’s lineup includes “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood — while drawing visitors from far beyond the local area.

Hotels are booked far in advance, and local restaurants and shops benefit as well.

Cancellation would be a huge economic blow not just for the Mid-State Fair, but also for the community. A 2015 economic impact study showed the fairgrounds generated $79 million for the local economy that year. Most of that came from the fair.Fair officials stress that health and safety must come first, and they are committed to following the recommendations of state agencies that oversee county fairs, as well as the county Public Health Department.

Dr. Borenstein’s statements — together with the governor’s cautious statements about mass gatherings — make it clear that big events like fairs, music festivals and even large weddings jeopardize public health right now, and it’s not clear when that might change.

While a scaled-down event might be possible, would that be worth it for a fair that’s based its reputation on big-name concerts and happy crowds of people?

The Mid-State Fair Board of Directors has some critical decisions to make, and we trust they will do what’s in everyone’s best interest.

If that means postponing the event until next year — and that’s looking like the safest course of action — we urge the community to understand and support that decision.

This has been updated to include additional comments from Dr. Penny Borenstein.

This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 1:40 PM.